MLS vs Other Leagues

When Does MLS Season Start? 2026 Start Date, Preseason & Schedule

The 2026 MLS season start date, preseason timeline, historical start dates, and how the FIFA World Cup affects the schedule.

The 2026 MLS season kicked off in late February 2026, with opening weekend matches starting the campaign for all 30 clubs. If you are reading this during the early weeks of the season, the race is already underway -- check the current standings and latest results to see how clubs have started.

This guide covers the specific start dates, what happens during preseason, how MLS start dates have shifted over the years, and the significant impact the 2026 FIFA World Cup has on this year's schedule.

The Quick Answer

The 2026 MLS regular season started in late February 2026. Opening weekend featured matches across both conferences, with all 30 teams in action over the first two matchdays.

If you are looking for specific match dates and times, visit our matches page for the complete schedule, or check individual team pages like LAFC, Inter Miami, or Seattle Sounders for club-specific schedules.

The Full 2026 MLS Calendar

Here is the complete timeline for the 2026 season:

| Date | Event | |------|-------| | Early January 2026 | Players report for preseason training | | January - February 2026 | Preseason training camps and friendlies | | Late February 2026 | Regular season begins (Opening Weekend) | | February - May 2026 | Primary transfer window open | | Mid-June 2026 | Regular season pauses for FIFA World Cup | | June 11 - July 19, 2026 | 2026 FIFA World Cup (USA, Mexico, Canada) | | Late July 2026 | Regular season resumes | | July - August 2026 | Secondary transfer window open | | October 2026 | Decision Day (final regular season matches) | | Late October 2026 | MLS Cup Playoffs begin | | December 2026 | MLS Cup Final |

What Happens Before the Season Starts

Preseason Training (January - February)

MLS preseason begins in early January when players report to their club facilities. The preseason period serves several purposes:

Fitness testing and conditioning: Players return from the offseason (typically 4-6 weeks off) and undergo fitness assessments. The conditioning work during January and early February builds the aerobic base for the 10-month season ahead.

Tactical installation: Coaches use preseason to introduce or refine their tactical systems. New players learn the team's playing style, positional responsibilities, and set-piece routines. For teams with new head coaches -- and MLS typically sees 3-6 coaching changes each offseason -- preseason is critical for establishing the new direction.

Integration of new signings: Players signed during the offseason or early transfer window train with their new teammates for the first time. Chemistry does not develop overnight, and preseason is the only extended period where teams can train together without the pressure of competitive matches.

Preseason friendlies: Most MLS clubs play 3-6 preseason friendlies against a mix of MLS opponents, USL Championship clubs, international touring teams, and college sides. These matches serve as fitness gauges and tactical experiments rather than competitive tests. Results are meaningless, but the performances provide clues about the roster.

Preseason Destinations

Many MLS clubs travel to warm-weather locations for preseason camps:

  • Florida and Arizona are the most common domestic destinations
  • Southern California attracts West Coast teams
  • International trips to Mexico, Central America, or the Caribbean are occasional

Clubs based in cold-weather markets (Toronto, Montreal, Minnesota, Chicago, Columbus) particularly benefit from preseason travel, as their home facilities may be unusable due to weather in January.

The MLS SuperDraft (January)

The annual MLS SuperDraft takes place in January, before the season begins. While the draft has declined in significance as MLS academies have become the primary player development pathway, it still produces roster contributors each year. Draft picks occasionally have immediate first-team impact, though most take 1-2 seasons to develop into regular contributors.

Historical MLS Start Dates

The MLS season start date has shifted over the league's 30-year history, trending earlier over time:

| Year(s) | Approximate Start | Notes | |---------|-------------------|-------| | 1996-2000 | Mid-to-late March | Original MLS seasons started later | | 2001-2010 | Early-to-mid March | Gradually moved earlier | | 2011-2017 | Early March | Settled into early March pattern | | 2018-2019 | Late February - Early March | Pushed earlier to accommodate expanded schedule | | 2020 | Late February (paused March for COVID) | COVID-19 suspended season after 2 weeks | | 2021 | Mid-April | Delayed start due to COVID protocols | | 2022-2025 | Late February | Established as the standard window | | 2026 | Late February | Current season |

The trend toward earlier starts reflects several factors:

  1. More matches: As MLS expanded from 28 to 34 regular-season matches, the season needed more calendar weeks.
  2. Playoff expansion: A larger playoff field requires more rounds, pushing the end of the season later into December.
  3. International calendar: Accommodating Concacaf Champions Cup, Leagues Cup, and now the World Cup requires calendar flexibility.
  4. Television and streaming: Apple TV wants content across as many weeks as possible.

The COVID Anomaly

The 2020 season deserves special mention. MLS began on February 29, 2020, played two weeks of matches, and then suspended operations on March 12 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The season eventually resumed in July with the "MLS is Back Tournament" in a bubble at Disney World's ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando.

The 2021 season started in mid-April, the latest non-COVID start in modern MLS history, as the league continued to deal with pandemic logistics and stadium capacity restrictions.

By 2022, MLS was back to its standard late-February start and has maintained that pattern since.

How the 2026 World Cup Affects the MLS Schedule

The 2026 FIFA World Cup is the most significant scheduling event in MLS history. It is being played on MLS's home turf -- literally, in MLS stadiums in some cases -- during the middle of the MLS season.

The Break

MLS will pause its regular season during the World Cup. The break will span approximately five weeks, from mid-June to late July 2026. This is the longest in-season break in MLS history.

Why the Break Is Necessary

  1. Player availability: MLS clubs will have players called up to national team rosters for the World Cup. Unlike European clubs, which release players during their offseason for summer tournaments, MLS clubs must release players during their active season.

  2. Stadium usage: FIFA requires exclusive use of World Cup venues for extended periods. MLS teams whose stadiums are World Cup sites will be locked out of their home venues for weeks.

  3. Attention competition: Trying to schedule MLS matches during a World Cup played in North America would be commercial suicide. The World Cup will dominate sports media and fan attention. MLS is better served by pausing and benefiting from the reflected interest.

Impact on the Schedule

To accommodate the World Cup break while still completing 34 regular-season matches, MLS has several options:

  • Earlier start: Starting a week or two earlier than usual to bank matches before the break
  • More midweek matches: Scheduling additional Wednesday fixtures before and after the break
  • Later finish: Pushing Decision Day into late October and the playoffs deeper into December
  • Compressed post-break schedule: Playing matches every 3-4 days in August and September

The most likely approach is a combination of all four. Expect a condensed schedule in the August-September period, which will tax squad depth and create the kind of fixture congestion that European clubs deal with regularly but MLS teams have historically avoided.

The Opportunity

The World Cup is a massive opportunity for MLS. The 2014 World Cup in Brazil drove significant interest in soccer in the United States. The 1994 World Cup (also hosted in the US) led directly to the creation of MLS. A World Cup played in MLS stadiums, featuring MLS players on multiple national teams, and generating wall-to-wall soccer coverage in American media, has the potential to be the single biggest growth catalyst in MLS history.

The question is whether the league can convert World Cup attention into sustained regular-season interest. The post-break stretch of the 2026 season will be the first test.

When Do Other Soccer Leagues Start?

For comparison, here is when major soccer leagues around the world begin their seasons:

| League | Season Start | Season End | |--------|-------------|------------| | MLS | Late February | December | | Premier League | Mid-August | Late May | | La Liga | Mid-August | Late May | | Bundesliga | Mid-August | Late May | | Serie A | Mid-August | Late May | | Ligue 1 | Mid-August | Late May | | Liga MX (Clausura) | January | May | | Liga MX (Apertura) | July | December | | A-League (Australia) | October | May | | J-League (Japan) | February | November |

MLS is most closely aligned with the J-League (Japan) and A-League (Australia) in its spring-to-fall calendar. This is not coincidental -- all three leagues are in markets where the fall-to-spring European calendar is impractical due to climate (winter in the Northern Hemisphere for MLS and J-League) or reversed seasons (Australia).

For a deeper comparison of how MLS stacks up against European leagues, see our MLS season guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

When do MLS tickets go on sale?

Season tickets are typically available for renewal in November and new purchases in December-January. Single-game tickets for the new season usually go on sale in January or early February, 2-4 weeks before opening day. For detailed ticket information, see our MLS tickets guide.

When is the MLS All-Star Game?

The MLS All-Star Game is typically held in July or August. In 2026, the timing will depend on the World Cup schedule, and the event may be pushed to August or later.

When do MLS playoffs start?

The MLS Cup Playoffs begin in late October, immediately following the final regular-season matches (Decision Day). The playoff bracket runs through November and into December, with MLS Cup typically played in the first or second week of December.

Does MLS have a winter break?

No. MLS has a full offseason rather than a winter break. The season ends in December with MLS Cup, and the next season does not begin until late February. European leagues, by contrast, play through the winter with a brief holiday break (1-4 weeks around Christmas and New Year's).

When is the MLS SuperDraft?

The MLS SuperDraft is held in January, before the preseason begins. It has become less significant as MLS academies produce more first-team-ready players, but it remains a formal offseason event.

How does the MLS season compare to the NFL, NBA, and MLB?

| League | Season Length | Regular Season Games | Postseason | |--------|-------------|---------------------|------------| | MLS | Feb-Dec (~10 months) | 34 | Oct-Dec | | NFL | Sep-Feb (~6 months) | 17 | Jan-Feb | | NBA | Oct-Jun (~9 months) | 82 | Apr-Jun | | MLB | Mar-Oct (~7 months) | 162 | Oct-Nov | | NHL | Oct-Jun (~9 months) | 82 | Apr-Jun |

MLS has the longest calendar span (10 months) but the fewest games (34). This means more rest between matches but less margin for error -- every match is approximately 3% of your season.

Following the Season on The MLS Pulse

Throughout the 2026 season, our site provides:

The 2026 season is already underway. Check the standings to see how your team is positioned.