MLS sets February 19 opener for 2027 Sprint Season

Major League Soccer's 2027 Sprint Season will open on February 19 with Inter Miami hosting FC Cincinnati at Nu Stadium, according to SBI Soccer's reporting on the newly announced fixtures. The shortened competition will bridge the league's move to a summer-to-spring calendar, with a champion crowned before the next full season begins in July.

Watch the highlights:

The remaining opening-weekend matches are scheduled for February 20 and 21, SBI Soccer reported, while Decision Day is set for May 8. MLS Cup is planned for Memorial Day weekend. The announced opening fixtures also include Philadelphia Union against Chicago Fire and San Diego FC visiting LAFC, giving clubs their first dates for the transitional campaign.

Under the format published by MLS, each club will play 14 regular-season matches, divided into seven at home and seven away. There will be no regular-season meetings between the two conferences: every team will face each of its 14 conference opponents once. The shortened schedule therefore retains an equal allocation of home and away fixtures for every club.

The top eight sides in each conference will advance to the playoffs. MLS says those teams will compete in single-elimination conference brackets, with the two conference champions meeting for MLS Cup. The league's official FAQ specifies that every postseason game, including the final, will be hosted by the club finishing higher in the overall Supporters' Shield standings.

The competition will also establish qualification for international tournaments in 2028. MLS has confirmed that five Concacaf Champions Cup places will be determined by Sprint Season results. Another 18 teams will qualify for Leagues Cup, with nine places allocated to each conference. Those qualification consequences extend the significance of the shortened campaign beyond its own championship.

After the Sprint Season, MLS will begin its 2027-28 campaign in July 2027 and finish with the playoffs and MLS Cup in May 2028. The league says that regular season will retain 34 matches. A winter pause will begin in mid-December, with no league games in January and play resuming in February, as MLS shifts its annual competition timetable.