MLS announces format for 14-match 'Sprint Season' in 2027
Dec 6, 2025; Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA; Inter Miami forward Lionel Messi (10) lifts the Philip F. Anschutz trophy after winning the 2025 MLS Cup against the Vancouver Whitecaps FC at Chase Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images Major League Soccer on Thursday announced the format for the 2027 "sprint season" that will bridge the transition to a summer-to-spring schedule beginning later that year.
Teams will exclusively play against conference opponents, facing seven at home and the other seven away, during the 14-match regular season slated to run from February to April 2027.
Each conference's top eight finishers will contest a single-elimination playoff bracket that leads to the MLS Cup final in May.
The league said schedule details would be released in the coming months.
The short season's results will determine which MLS teams qualify for the 2028 CONCACAF Champions Cup and Leagues Cup.
Starting in the summer of 2027, MLS will stage full seasons from July through the following May to align with the European calendar.
Currently, teams play 34 regular season matches between February and November, with a long pause worked into this year's schedule during the FIFA World Cup.
The reigning MLS Cup champion, Inter Miami, achieved a 19-7-8 record (65 points) and defeated the Vancouver Whitecaps 3-1 in last season's final.
--Field Level Media
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