Major League Soccer is resuming its season amid the coronavirus pandemic on July 8 with a World Cup-style tournament in Florida that won’t include fans in the stands.
The league’s 26 teams will be divided into six groups for the opening round of the tournament at ESPN’s Wide World of Sports Complex at the Walt Disney World Resort.
Sixteen teams will advance to the knockout round, with the winner earning a spot in the 2021 CONCACAF Champions League. The group matches will count toward the regular season, the league said.
Teams had played just two games to start the 2020 MLS season when the league suspended play March 12 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
While in Florida, players will be sequestered in a resort and be subject to a rigorous testing protocol. Each team will have three group matches, played over 16 consecutive days with multiple games a day. Games will be played in the morning and the evening to avoid the heat.