2027 MLS Sprint Season to Launch Major League Soccer's Transition into New Era
Published on March 19, 2026 under Major League Soccer (MLS) News Release
NEW YORK - Major League Soccer today announced details of the 2027 MLS Sprint Season, the MLS season that will launch Major League Soccer's transition into its new summer-to-spring calendar, as the league aligns its schedule with the world's top soccer leagues.
The fast-paced, high-stakes campaign will kick off in February and culminate in the Audi 2027 MLS Cup Playoffs and 2027 MLS Cup presented by Audi in May. Not only will the Sprint Season crown an MLS Cup champion, but it will also have international competition implications, determining qualification for the 2028 Concacaf Champions Cup and 2028 Leagues Cup.
The Sprint Season will see each MLS team play 14 regular season games from February to April. Regular season matches will consist of intra-conference play with teams facing each of their 14 conference opponents once - seven matches at home and seven matches away.
At the conclusion of the regular season, the top eight teams in each of the two conferences will qualify for the Audi 2027 MLS Cup Playoffs. In each conference, the postseason will be played in a single-elimination bracket format to determine a conference champion. The Eastern Conference Champion and Western Conference Champion will meet in 2027 MLS Cup presented by Audi.
The 2027 Sprint Season schedule, including each team's home and away matchups, will be announced in the coming months.
2027 MLS Sprint Season - By the Numbers
All teams will play 14 regular-season games.
Each team will play its 14 conference opponents one time
All teams will play seven home games and seven away games in the regular season.
The top eight teams from the Eastern Conference and the top eight teams from the Western Conference will qualify for the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs.
One team will be crowned MLS Cup champion.
Five Concacaf Champions Cup berths will be determined by 2027 MLS Sprint Season results.
18 teams will qualify for Leagues Cup, nine from each conference.About the New MLS Competition Calendar
Beginning in the summer of 2027, MLS will adopt a summer-to-spring season format, aligning MLS with the world's top leagues and marking one of the most significant developments in the league's history.
The 2027-28 MLS regular season will kick off in July 2027 and conclude with the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs and MLS Cup presented by Audi in May 2028.
Like many other major international leagues, MLS will observe a midwinter break from mid-December through early February, with no league matches scheduled in January.
Major League Soccer Stories from March 19, 2026
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- Six San Diego FC Players Called up for International Duty - San Diego FC
- Earthquakes Forward Ousseni Bouda Earns Burkina Faso National Team Call-Up - San Jose Earthquakes
- Colorado Rapids Defender Lucas Herrington Called up to Australia Men's National Team - Colorado Rapids
- Chicago Fire FC Defender Mbekezeli Mbokazi Named to South Africa National Team Roster for March International Window - Chicago Fire FC
- MLS Disciplinary Committee Decisions Announced - MLS
- St. Louis CITY SC Homegrown Forward Mykhi Joyner Called up to U.S. U-20 MNT International Training Camp in Argentina - St. Louis City SC
- Revolution Homegrown M Eric Klein Called up to United States Under-20 National Team - New England Revolution
- B.C. Kids Will Benefit from New Soccer Mini Pitches - Vancouver Whitecaps FC
- Keys to the Match: Sunday Service - New York City FC
- LA Galaxy and Fox 11 Plus Launch New Bi-Weekly Show and Renew Partnership to Air Match Replays Thursdays from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. PT - LA Galaxy
- Revolution Forward Dor Turgeman Called up to Israel Men's National Team - New England Revolution
- 2027 MLS Sprint Season to Launch Major League Soccer's Transition into New Era - MLS
- FC Cincinnati Add Andrei Chirila to Roster Via Short-Term Agreement - FC Cincinnati
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- St. Louis CITY SC Hosts New England Revolution on Saturday Night at Energizer Park - St. Louis City SC
- Minnesota United and MNUFC2 Announce International Friendly Versus the Liberia National Team - Minnesota United FC
- Red Bull New York Defender Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty Selected to Canada National Team Roster for March Camp - Red Bull New York
- Chicago Fire FC Defender Joel Waterman Called up to Canada Men's National Team for March International Window - Chicago Fire FC
- Kamal Miller Called up to Canadian Men's National Team For March International window - Portland Timbers
- Sounders FC Advances to 2026 Concacaf Champions Cup Quarterfinals with 2-1 Win over Vancouver in Spokane - Seattle Sounders FC
- San Diego FC Finishes Participation in the Concacaf Champions Cup After 4-0 Loss against Deportivo Toluca F.C. in Leg Two of the Concacaf Champions Cup Round of 16 - San Diego FC
- Seattle Bounces Whitecaps FC from Concacaf Champions Cup Play - Vancouver Whitecaps FC
- Union Draw, Drop Series with Club América - Philadelphia Union
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