MLS sprint season schedule: 2027 campaign to start in Miami on 19 February
Major League Soccer has set the key dates for its one-off 2027 sprint season. The short campaign is part of MLS’s move toward a new global-style calendar.
The MLS sprint season schedule has been set, with Major League Soccer’s one-off 2027 campaign to begin on 19 February in Miami. The stopgap half-season will run into late May as the North American league prepares to invert its calendar from the 2027-28 season.
MLS Cup is due to be played on Memorial Day weekend at the end of May, while Decision Day has been placed on 8 May. The temporary format is part of a wider shift designed to bring MLS into line with most top leagues around the world.
Key dates for the 2027 MLS sprint season
The 2027 campaign will not follow the league’s usual full-season rhythm. Instead, MLS will stage a one-off half-season before moving into its new calendar structure.
- Season opener: 19 February
- Opening location: Miami
- Decision Day: 8 May
- MLS Cup: Memorial Day weekend at the end of May
The schedule gives the league a short transition competition before the broader calendar change takes effect. MLS has described the 2027 sprint season as a stopgap half-season, meaning it is not intended to become a permanent format.
Why MLS is changing its calendar
Major League Soccer is inverting its calendar to align with most top leagues around the world beginning with the 2027-28 season. The move marks a major structural change for the North American league.
The nuts and bolts of the change were initially announced in March. The newly announced 2027 dates provide the next step in that process, setting out how MLS will bridge the gap before the new calendar begins.
For football fans who follow competitions such as the Champions League and the major European domestic leagues, the change is significant because it brings MLS closer to the timing used across much of the global game.
How the sprint season fits into the transition
The 2027 sprint season is designed as a one-off campaign rather than a standard MLS season. It starts on 19 February and reaches Decision Day on 8 May, leaving MLS Cup to be played on Memorial Day weekend at the end of May.
That compressed timeline gives the league a defined transition period before the 2027-28 season. The new structure is intended to complete the calendar inversion and place MLS on a schedule that more closely matches most top leagues internationally.
What happens next
The next major step is the launch of the 2027 sprint season in Miami on 19 February. After Decision Day on 8 May and MLS Cup on Memorial Day weekend, MLS is due to begin its new aligned calendar with the 2027-28 season.