Copy linkFacebookXPinterestEmailShare this article 0Join the conversationFollow usAdd us as a preferred source on GoogleNewsletterFour Four TwoGet FourFourTwo NewsletterThe best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.Become a Member in Seconds Unlock instant access to exclusive member features.Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.You are now subscribedYour newsletter sign-up was successfulWant to add more newsletters?Five times a weekFourFourTwo DailyFantastic football content straight to your inbox! From the latest transfer news, quizzes, videos, features and interviews with the biggest names in the game, plus lots more.Signup +Once a week...And its LIVE!Sign up to our FREE live football newsletter, tracking all of the biggest games available to watch on the device of your choice. Never miss a kick-off!Signup +Join the clubGet full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards.Explore An account already exists for this email address, please log in.Subscribe to our newsletterWorld Cup 2026 is an off-season affair for most of the football world but there are some leagues that needed to work their scheduling around the global summer showpiece.Major League Soccer was still under construction when the United States hosted the World Cup. Now the first division in both the USA and Canada, the birth of MLS was a condition of the 1994 hosting arrangement.The 2026 season started in February and the regular season will conclude in early November. World Cup 2026 takes over in June and July, when MLS play generally continues around mid-season prestige friendlies. You may like What is the MLS 'Sprint Season' and why is it happening? FIFA World Cup 2026: Dates, fixtures, stadiums, tickets and everything you need to know Why 2026 FIFA World Cup could be the hottest ever What is Major League Soccer's summer schedule?MLS is moving to a new calendar in 2027, running from summer to spring with a mid-season winter break. Its schedule will align with the top football leagues around the world and will be ushered in by a February-to-May 'sprint season' to bridge the subsequent gap.Japan's J.League is in the middle of its own sprint season and will seamlessly return to a summer-to-spring schedule after the World Cup. Top-flight clubs in the United States and Canada voted in their change for a year later and MLS has had to create a space.A post shared by Major League Soccer (@mls)A photo posted by on While World Cup matches will mostly be played in the likes of AT&T Stadium and MetLife Stadium, some MLS stadia will be involved and players around the league will be representing their international sides too.The World Cup will be football's focus in June and July, with Major League Soccer settling on a seven-week break to accommodate the World Cup schedule in the summer of 2026.Get FourFourTwo NewsletterThe best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.Major League Soccer's 2026 season will pause from Monday, May 25 to Thursday, July 16. Six 'marquee rivalry matches' will be played in between the semi-finals and the final of the World Cup.The regular season then returns after the final and will run until Saturday, 7 November. The play-off run to MLS Cup then begins, with the championship game to be played exactly one week before Christmas.Inter Miami are the reigning champions after defeating Vancouver Whitecaps in MLS Cup 2025, so Lionel Messi is the captain of the title holders at both club and country level.Incidentally, with 2022 winners Argentina expected to remain in the World Cup into its latter stages, Inter Miami have not been scheduled for a fixture in the mid-July match week in MLS. Major League Soccer will be well represented in various squads at the tournament.As well as players expecting call-ups for the United States, Canada and Mexico, the league has evolved into a cosmopolitan smorgasbord boasting internationals for teams throughout the South American, African, European and Asian confederations.World champions Argentina selected Inter Miami's Rodrigo De Paul along with Messi in their squad for two friendlies in March.TOPICSLionel MessiMLSWorld CupWorld Cup 2026Chris NeeChris is a Warwickshire-based freelance football writer specialising in West Midlands football, the Premier League, the EFL and the J.League. He is the author of the High Protein Beef Paste football newsletter and owner of Aston Villa Review. He supports Coventry Sphinx.
