Why MLS is changing to summer-spring schedule with a winter break

With its decision to more closely align its competition calendar with that of most European club leagues, MLS is taking a step forward. How much of one is still to be determined.

Beginning in 2027, the league will operate on a summer-to-spring schedule, with the season beginning in mid-July, Decision Day taking place the following April, and MLS Cup playoffs taking place in May. Within that calendar will be a winter break, which will see MLS sit idle from mid-December through early- or mid-February.

In some respects, the change is long overdue, with the proposal first being raised 20 years ago. It has long been championed by many teams' technical staffs, that feel that not aligning with the European calendar makes it more difficult to participate in the global transfer market. Right now, MLS' primary transfer window runs from January to April, when teams in Europe are approaching the critical part of their seasons and are reluctant or unable to part with players. (The winter window globally runs only for the month of January.)

By the time the summer window rolls around, the opposite is true: European teams are open for business, but MLS sides don't want to transfer their best players in the midst of a playoff push. Also, with most of their rosters set, there is considerably less flexibility for MLS sides to acquire new arrivals.

"If we're able to [change the calendar], I think that we will have the advantages of being able to participate much more aggressively in the transfer windows, both incoming and outgoing," Inter Miami CF co-owner Jorge Mas told ESPN in June.

Of course, any lack of alignment hasn't stopped MLS from becoming a significant participant in the transfer market. This year, MLS teams spent approximately $336 million on player acquisitions. The league record for incoming transfers was broken three times in the past 12 months: first FC Cincinnati parting with $16 million to add Kvin Denkey, then Atlanta United signing Emmanuel Latte Lath for $22 million, and again with LAFC spending $26.5 million to acquire South Korea international Son Heung-Min. The total spend in 2025 represents a 75% increase from the previous year's period, which at the time was a record $188 million.

This switch is expected to make it even easier for clubs to do business, convince them to spend more on players and -- hopefully -- catapult the league forward.

"The amount of money spent in the summer market I think is 12 or 13 times what it is in January," said one MLS chief soccer officer (CSO) in February, one of five that ESPN spoke to about the calendar over the course of the 2025 campaign. "We want to be able to participate in that in a much easier way that's not disrupting the middle of your season."

Another CSO still sees a downside: While more synchronization with Europe will occur, there will be less with South America, which continues to provide a significant pipeline of players to MLS. According to the Institute for Immigration Research at George Mason University, 28% of MLS players were born in South America, while 36% hailed from Europe.

"If we continue not to understand that we need to develop first before we can sell, [the calendar switch] will not be a big advantage," the CSO said.

The calendar switch is also seen as one way to help harness the momentum from next summer's FIFA World Cup, as well as help the league navigate the eventual departure of Inter Miami star Lionel Messi. The Argentina international signed a new contract with the Herons through 2028, but there is concern that when that time arrives, his exit would leave a vacuum that will be difficult to fill.

"I think MLS must adapt a fall-spring calendar; [it] must to survive, and become MLS 3.0," said another MLS CSO. "Otherwise it will go back to the old MLS after Messi leaves."

Then there's the fact that most international tournaments take place in the summer months. This reality forces MLS to shut down for part, but not the entire duration, of tournaments, making some teams play shorthanded for a spell. "The only way you cannot play during FIFA tournaments is to have a fall-to-spring calendar," one CSO added.

"It's our intention not to play on FIFA dates," said Nelson Rodriguez, MLS executive vice president of sporting and competition. "I want to recognize that there will be a double date, a FIFA double date -- September, October -- and so we will consider playing only on that double date, but that hasn't been decided or finalized yet. Every year always has some vagaries to it, shifting FIFA windows and dates of the FIFA windows, stadium availability and the like."

There's also the belief that going to a summer-spring calendar will allow MLS to carve out a bigger slice of the American sporting public's attention. There is always something going on in the U.S. and Canada at just about every time of the year, but having MLS Cup played in warmer spring/summer weather would make for a better event. However, the calendar flip would also mean that a good chunk of the regular season would be happening at the coldest time of year, which will impact both playability and simply traveling to parts of Canada or the northern U.S. states like Minnesota, Massachusetts and Washington for games.

"I think playoffs going up against the end of the NBA and beginning of baseball is way better than going up against the NFL and college football," said another CSO. "The playoffs should be our best product, our product that we can generate the most revenue with, and that doesn't currently exist. And just general respect globally that we are respecting the old guard and how things should work."

The biggest downside has to do with climate. The change means playing through at least some of the U.S. winter, which could have a negative effect on attendance. Sources have told ESPN that the league will observe a winter break, much like what the Bundesliga does, but following the Germans' lead and taking, say, six weeks off would still force MLS teams to play into half of December and then start up in early February. Shutting down for that length of time raises the concern that the league could be out of sight, out of mind.

Schedules would also have to accommodate those teams in colder climates. Teams like Toronto FC and CF Montral could see their home schedules heavily tilted toward the warmer months. Montral also doesn't have undersoil heating at its home venue, Stade Saputo. That would require finding an alternate venue, or spending an inordinate amount of the winter dates on the road.

"I think obviously there's going to be a little bit of an issue in the markets that have different climactic conditions," said another CSO. "Obviously like Montral and Toronto and New England and Chicago are probably going to be difficult places to play games in January, so you can adjust that in the schedule, but I think the climate would be the challenge in our league."

Another CSO went further, stating that the switch would be "good for the [southern teams] and bad for the north" in terms of competitive balance.

He added, "In my eyes, it will come down to pretty much of a shift of our sports to southerly regions. I mean, the clubs in the south will be clearly advantaged as they do not need to play in [hot] summers anymore and also don't have to invest in costly infrastructure like pitch heating, etc."