Major League Soccer’s Board of Governors will give further consideration to adopting a fall-to-spring calendar, a major move that would align the North American league with its international counterparts.
The next phase, which was announced Thursday after the board’s meeting, includes “additional consultation with key stakeholders.” MLS said in a release that any potential changes wouldn’t take effect until the 2027 season “at the earliest.”
Advocates for a shift have said it will give MLS a more competitive position for player transfers, while also freeing up players for international duty during the summer, when many major global tournaments take place.
There was an expectation that MLS might implement the change after the 2026 World Cup, capitalizing on the league’s planned break during the tournament, which will be hosted by Canada, Mexico and the United States.
The league’s regular season currently runs from late February to October, followed by the playoffs. The schedule can be challenging for teams that lose top players during international competition windows and summer tournaments.
But a shift could also pose challenges for other teams in the winter months, including Chicago and Minnesota, which must already contend with rough winter weather during parts of the year.
If MLS aligned with Europe, the season could open in mid-August with a possible extended break in mid-December. The championship game would likely be in May.
Former U.S. national team goalkeeper and Hall of Famer Tim Howard, an investor in Houston’s MLS club and its National Women’s Soccer League counterpart said earlier this year that he was in favor of the idea.
“I tend to think being on the international calendar is important. It has challenges, like every major change and shift has its challenges. But leagues have done that since the beginning of time,” Howard said. “Oftentimes you’ve got to pivot, and it’s a hard pivot, and that comes with growing pains.”