Major League Soccer’s 2026 schedule to include seven-week break for FIFA World Cup

A soccer ball with the MLS logo and Commissioner Don Garber's signature sits on the pitch as the Vancouver Whitecaps practice, in Vancouver, on Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

Major League Soccer has unveiled its 2026 schedule, complete with a seven-week break for the FIFA World Cup.

The regular season starts on Feb. 21 with all 30 teams in action and will wrap on Nov. 7, followed by playoffs.

Each club will play its conference opponents twice, once at home and once on the road, and face six different cross-conference teams.

Play will be paused from May 25 until July 16 for the World Cup in Canada, the U.S. and Mexico.

Several MLS markets — including Vancouver and Toronto — are host cities for the tournament, which kicks off in Guadalajara and Mexico City on July 11 and ends with the final at MetLife Stadium in Rutherford, N.J. on July 19.

Next season will be the final time the league begins and ends play in the winter, with MLS flipping its calendar to begin in summer and end in spring starting in 2027.

The move is aimed at aligning the league with the schedules of its European counterparts and FIFA’s international competition windows, but concerns have been raised about the effect on northern teams, including CF Montréal and Toronto FC.

MLS is planning to hold a “transition season” from February to May 2027.

That season will include a 14-game regular season, playoffs and an MLS Cup, and the results will determine which clubs qualify for the Canadian Championship, the U.S. Open Cup, Leagues Cup and the CONCACAF Champions Cup.

The revamped calendar will include a winter break from mid-December through to the beginning or middle of February, with no games being played in January, and another break in part of June and July when many international competitions are played.

The Vancouver Whitecaps will open the 2026 campaign at home against Real Salt Lake on Feb. 21, and play eight of their first nine games in Vancouver.

The ‘Caps will close out the regular season on the road against CF Montréal on Nov. 7.

Montreal will open with six games on the road, starting Feb. 21 at San Diego. It will play its first game at Stade Saputo April 11 against Philadelphia.

Toronto, playing in its 20th season, opens Feb. 21 at Dallas and plays its first three games on the road to accommodate upgrades to BMO Field for the World Cup.

TFC plays its home opener March 14 against the New York Red Bulls.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 20, 2025.