Miami opens the bridge year
MLS has a start date for its transition campaign. The 2027 “Sprint Season” begins Feb. 19 with Inter Miami hosting FC Cincinnati, and 13 more matches follow across the opening weekend. Miami arrive as the reigning champions, having won the 2025 MLS Cup.
The sprint is a one-time league season built to carry MLS across its switch to a summer-to-spring calendar. Instead of a long winter break, the league fills the gap with a short, compressed schedule.
no renewal
Free for 2 weeks.
Seven home games, seven away, and no cross-conference trips
Each of the 30 clubs plays 14 matches: seven at home and seven on the road, all against opponents from its own conference. The top eight teams in each conference reach a single-elimination playoff. The East and West winners then meet in the 2027 MLS Cup, scheduled for May.
The first full season on the new calendar will run from July 2027 to May 2028.
The current season still has weeks to run
None of this changes the race now underway. The 2026 regular season ends Nov. 7, and the 2026 MLS Cup is set for Dec. 18. The sprint will follow after a winter break of roughly two months.
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