April 14 – Major League Soccer (MLS) is continuing its exploration into the feasibility of moving its calendar to align with the international football calendar as early as 2027. Along with the switch, the league is also looking at changes to the format of the regular season and playoffs.
“Major League Soccer’s Board of Governors today authorised a second phase of exploration into a potential move to the international soccer calendar, along with a continued evaluation of the league’s regular season and playoff formats,” read a statement from the league on Thursday.
“Any potential changes would not take effect until the 2027 season at the earliest. This next phase will include additional consultation with key stakeholders and the development of a comprehensive transition plan.”
Currently, MLS bucks the trend of an August-May schedule, preferring a March-October calendar, reasoning that East Coast weather in the winter would potentially create chaos in the scheduling.
MLS Commissioner Don Garber, in his annual State of the League address, revealed that while the calendar discussion has been explored in 2004-05 and 2014-15, he now believes there is unprecedented momentum among stakeholders. Club owners are increasingly concerned they’re missing out on the lucrative global transfer market that peaks during the summer months when European clubs are most active in player acquisition.
“I do think that we are considering more than ever before this opportunity to change, but it’s not something that we’re ready to talk about right now,” Garber said. “The schedule does get more crowded. The summers, in particular June now, that has been taken up by most of the international tournaments. [It] has us digging in even deeper than we ever had in the past, but we’ve got a lot of work to do and that work is ongoing.”
This potential calendar realignment represents what could be the most significant structural change in MLS history since its founding in 1996, with widespread implications for players, fans, and the league’s competitive position in global football.
Contact the writer of this story, Nick Webster, at moc.l1744928277labto1744928277ofdlr1744928277owedi1744928277sni@o1744928277fni1744928277