On Thursday, Major League Soccer announced a shift in its competition calendar, aligning the league’s schedule with the world’s top soccer leagues. Beginning in the summer of 2027, MLS will adopt a summer-to-spring season format, marking one of the most significant developments in the league’s history. MLS is continuing to work with the MLSPA to finalize agreement on a transition plan.
“The calendar shift is one of the most important decisions in our history,” said MLS Commissioner Don Garber. “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.”
2027–28 Season Structure
Before the change to the new calendar, MLS will stage a transition season from February to May 2027, featuring a 14-game regular season, playoffs, and MLS Cup. The results will determine 2027 qualification for the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, Canadian Championship, Leagues Cup, and Concacaf Champions Cup.
The 2027–28 MLS regular season will kick off in mid-to-late July 2027 and conclude with the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs and MLS Cup presented by Audi in late 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.
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What this means for FC Dallas
Boy, there is a lot to unpack in this that hasn’t been discussed or finalized yet. For starters, the shift in schedule will also see every MLS club play each other at least once in a season. Along with that, you’ll get 10 games with ‘divisional’ opponents, to help maximize regional rivalries.
Here are the things that stand out the most for me in this announcement.
Dog days of summer: You could argue that playing in the heat of June, July or part of August is a benefit for FC Dallas. After all, we did call Toyota Stadium the “Oven” for the first few years it was around.
But as a fan, it can be hell roasting in the stands during those months. This shift likely means we’ll see more home games in those ‘colder’ months to help balance things out for clubs in the North, but I honestly welcome that part of this shift.
Winter days: While we’re not a Minnesota or Toronto here, we do still have some winter that hits the Dallas market. I would imagine we’ll see more day games during some of those winter months, especially if they’re in one of those northern cities.
Transfer windows: The one thing that Andre Zanotta told me last summer during the saga between the club, Alan Velasco and Boca Junior was how he wished MLS was on a similar transfer schedule as the rest of the world. The summer transfer window in particular was always a challenge for MLS clubs as it meant you typically had to roll the dice on some player signings, with the hopes that it paid off for the playoff push. Now, those transfer windows will be aligned and it should mean we’ll see more quality come into the league and to FC Dallas.
No more awkward FIFA breaks: For years, every MLS team would have to see key players earn call ups during months like March, June, September, October and November. Some of those calls came during the season, while others came during the playoffs. And those playoff windows also have interrupted the flow of the playoffs in recent years. This shift now sees clubs get breaks when FIFA breaks. Just like everyone else in the world.
Toyota Stadium use: We know the fall months and early winter months, Toyota Stadium is busy. And busy with a lot of non soccer games. This shift will hopefully allow FC Dallas to get the most important games (ie: playoff games) at home with a field that lacks football lines on it.
Rivalry games still have meaning: We’re still going to see Austin twice in a season. We’re still going to see Houston twice in a season. There is also a good chance we’re going to see Sporting Kansas City, Minnesota United, and St. Louis CITY SC twice a year. Those games aren’t going away and they’re still going to have some proper meaning.
We’ll see else everyone again: The new calendar shift will also help bring back seeing everyone in the league at least once a year. Which is ideal when you think about making the Supporters Shield mean more moving forward.
That shorter “2027 season”: Getting to the big shift means we’ll see shorter season that will have a TON of impact. I have to imagine we’re going to see a lot of clubs go all in on that season, which will be really entertaining to see.
