Major League Soccer flipping calendar, with season to run July through May

Major League Soccer is changing its schedule to start in summer and end in spring, starting in 2027.

The move, approved Thursday by the league's board of governors, means the MLS season will kick off in mid-July and run through April with playoffs and the championship game being played in May.

This season, games began in February and playoffs started in mid-October. The MLS Cup final is set to be played on Dec. 6.

The new schedule will include a winter break from mid-December through to the beginning or middle of February, with no games being played in January, and another break in part of June and July when many international competitions are played.

"Today our owners made a decision that I think is one of the most important in our league's history," commissioner Don Garber said at a press conference.

"It gives us a wide variety of opportunities that will expand our ability to be on this path to be one of the top and leading leagues in the world."

The 2026 season will still be played on the current winter-winter schedule, but MLS will then hold a "transition season" from February to May 2027.

That season will include a 14-game regular season, playoffs and an MLS Cup, and the results will determine which clubs qualify for the Canadian Championship, the U.S. Open Cup, Leagues Cup and the CONCACAF Champions Cup.

Concerns have been raised about what switching the schedule could mean for the league's northernmost teams, including Toronto FC and CF Montreal, who both play their home games at outdoor stadiums.

While the start and end of the season will change, the league expects 91 per cent of games will still be played in the same window, including cold-weather months, Garber said.

He added that every time the league makes a