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    MLS announces 2027 Sprint Season before calendar switch
    • March 19, 2026

    Major League Soccer announced in November that it was making a calendar shift in 2027, adjusting to the European model of a summer-to-spring schedule.

    The 2026 season will end with MLS Cup on Dec. 18.

    The 2027-28 season will kick off in July 2027 and conclude in May 2028. MLS will observe a winter break, from mid-December through early February.

    To bridge the gap between the current season and the shift, MLS will run a “Sprint Season” after the current season in early 2027.

    “The calendar shift is one of the most important decisions in our history,” MLS commissioner Don Garber said in a statement back in November. “Aligning our schedule with the world’s top leagues will strengthen our clubs’ global competitiveness, create better opportunities in the transfer market, and ensure our Audi MLS Cup Playoffs take center stage without interruption.

    “It marks the start of a new era for our league and for soccer in North America.”

    The “Sprint Season” will be just 14 games, from February to April. The schedule will be intra-conference, with teams getting seven games at home and seven on the road. At the end, the top eight teams will qualify for the playoffs, which will be single-elimination, eventually ending with the MLS Cup.

    Despite the shortened season, berths in both the 2028 CONCACAF Champions Cup and Leagues Cup will be up for grabs. The top nine teams in each conference will qualify for Leagues Cup. The five spots for Champions Cup will go to: the 2027 MLS Cup winner, Supporters’ Shield winner, 2027 Eastern or Western Conference regular-season winner and two spots for the next-best finishers in the Supporters’ Shield race.

    The 2027-28 season will then revert to the regular schedule length of 34 games.

    ​ Orange County Register 

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