MLS switching schedule from summer to align with world soccer - ESPN

The Major League Soccer Board of Governors voted to align with the international soccer calendar by shifting the regular season to a Summer to Spring campaign beginning in 2027..

As opposed to most international leagues, MLS currently plays on a February to November calendar.

The change would see the season kickoff in mid July and run through the Spring, with Decision Day in April and the MLS Cup playoffs in May. MLS would allocate a winter break to prioritize player recovery, pausing action from mid December to early or mid-February.

More than 90 percent of games are expected to be played in the footprint the league currently employs.

A shift in the upcoming calendar would see MLS coincide with the international transfer windows, facilitating the clubs' ability to take part in the global transfer market. The current calendar sees the MLS primary transfer window run from Jan. 31 to April 23, while most international leagues do player transfer during a traditional summer window.

While the board of governors approved the switch, the league is still working out the details with the MLS Players' Association and could hit a stumbling block there. MLS EVP of Sporting Competition Nelson Rodriguez said there was «very good dialogue» with the MLSPA, another source said the discussions were «teetering.»

Sources told ESPN that the primary issues for the MLSPA was the league's unwillingness to commit to hard dates in terms of the schedule changes, as well as the length of the offseason. If the offseason was too short, it could make player movement via free agency — something the MLSPA has fought or through multiple CBAs — difficult.

Negotiations for the last CBA, ratified in 2021, were contentious in that the league twice forced a