MLS owners and executives have discussed Potential changes to the league calendar Once again on Thursday, but made a hit 2026 World Cup.
Instead, at a meeting of the board of directors in Chicago, they “authorized a second phase of exploration in a potential passage to the international football calendar, as well as a continuous assessment of regular season formats and the league qualifying series,” said MLS in a statement. “Any potential change would only take effect until the 2027 season at the earliest.”
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The “second phase of exploration” follows more than a year of research and meetings. League and club officials have debated the revision of the calendar to align MLS's seasons on the rate of fall to the jultivation which dictates most of world football. Many have seen 2026 – when the The male World Cup will come to North America – As a “perfect” occasion to make the jump.
But they knew that, if the jump would occur in 2026, they should start to change commercial offers, contracts and tickets soon. Thus, two people familiar with the talks told Yahoo Sports, they established the spring of 2025 as a gross and sweet deadline.
And Thursday, they essentially agreed to miss it. Without consensus on the substance of the change of calendar, they pushed the consequent decision – “one of the biggest decisions that the league will have taken in its history,” said Commissioner Don Garber – until a later date to determine.
“We clearly have the work to do to determine whether or not we can go to the international calendar, and we are not there yet”, Garber told journalists in Chicago.
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Rather, they chose to continue discussions and analysis. “This next phase will include an additional consultation with the main stakeholders and the development of a complete transition plan,” the league said in a press release.
Until it is complete, and until further notice, MLS's seasons will continue to start in February and will end in the fall. The status quo will remain the status quo. And The slow, regular growth of the league and opposed to the risk Will continue Apace.
The MLS calendar does not change anytime soon. (Photo by Vincent Carchietta / Getty Images)
(Vincent Carchietta via Getty Images)
The MLS calendar debate
MLS leaders began to study the feasibility of a calendar flip last winter. It was not the first time that they would say the idea; But this time, it has gradually become clear that the appetite for change was greater than ever. Thus, throughout 2024, they questioned the fans and plunged into the data. They met club leaders – on the business and football side – in “pods”, some clubs at the same time, to share and bring together points of view.
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And they found that These points of view run the whole rangeVarying according to the geographic region, personal ambition and role.
Among the sports directors, there is a large support for the overhaul. Most of the football -based leaders see the advantages of the alignment of the transfer of windows with those of high -level football leagues around the world.
Some of their bosses also realize that, if the alignment allows them to bring better players to the League, this could stimulate cyclic growth. The theory is that better players would improve the quality of the game on a league scale, which would increase the profile of the league, which would attract more fans, which would allow clubs to earn more money – then expense for even better players, who would attract even more fans, etc. This logic fueled the change in change.
Among team owners and business leaders, however, opinions are divided or equivocal, several people familiar with discussions on Yahoo Sports said. Some see the long -term increase and the value of moving the MLS eliminations of the American football season in May, when they could obtain a more national exhibition. Others are concerned about the instant drawbacks, such as ticket sales which would surely decrease during the winter months.
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This concern is particularly pronounced in the northern markets. Eighteen of the 30 MLS clubs play in cities where the summit in December was between 28 and 49 degrees. If they played in December, broke out for January and resumed in February, they should brave times and freezing elements. Some of their fans would probably remain at home.
And even if the league on the front or back has loaded its schedules, thus avoiding the coldest climates in the heart of winter, the daily training environments are a concern.
There are also concerns about the two-month mid-season break, which could be a “Momentum killer”, as a club director said in Yahoo Sports. No large American sports league has never divided its season into two distinct and distant halves.
Supporters of change, however, indicate the numerous interruptions cooked in the current calendar. Because MLS does not align with the Calendar fixed by FIFAGlobal organ body of football, the North American League plays during international breaks, even with its best players absent according to the national team. He then pauses in playoffs after a tour to host an international break in November. “Insane”, the star of the Galaxy Riqui Puig Famous writing last fall While waiting for 22 days between the playoffs.
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“ No decision was made ''
A year after discussions, apparently, opinions remain diverse. We do not know if, how and when a consensus could be reached.
“No decision has been made, and frankly, seated here today, I do not know if we have or not all the support we need to be able to (return the calendar)” Garber said, according to athletics.
“Although there is momentum to try to do it, there are many things that need to happen,” he continued. “We must understand the commercial impact. We must get closer to the search for our players to get an idea of their point of view. We have installation problems to examine.
“So, my point of view is that if we can do it, we will be able to capitalize on the momentum of the World Cup, and I am not concerned with a distance.”
