MLS owners did not vote on a proposed alignment of the league’s schedule with the international soccer calendar at today’s board of governors meeting in Chicago. Instead, the league said the earliest such a change would happen is now the 2027 season, meaning the schedule shift won’t take place immediately following the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup, as some in the sport envisioned.
“We clearly have work to do to figure out whether or not we can move over the international calendar, and we’re not there yet,” MLS Commissioner Don Garber said following the executive session. “No decision has been made, and frankly, sitting here today, I’m not sure whether or not we have all the support we need to be able to achieve that.”
The league said in a formal statement that its owners “authorized a second phase of exploration into a potential move to the international soccer calendar, along with a continued evaluation of the league’s regular season and playoff formats.” It added, “Any potential changes would not take effect until the 2027 season at the earliest. This next phase will include additional consultation with key stakeholders and the development of a comprehensive transition plan.”
LAFC co-managing owner Larry Berg was the lone owner to speak on the record following the meeting, which he characterized as “an opportunity for the league to present and recommend some big, bold moves.” He said owners had the chance to “respond as to how they take those moves and give the league a sense whether it’s worth continuing to work on them” as well as to “point out the challenges that need to be worked on to get to a final vote in the future.”
The day’s developments will come as a relief to critics of the plan, who are largely concerned the impact the calendar change could have on clubs in cold-weather markets, but also to some club executives who felt they need more lead time to prepare for such a dramatic change to the league’s schedule. Some proponents of the plan, however, will view the continued evaluation as a missed opportunity to make a statement about the future of the league when all eyes are on soccer following the FIFA Men’s World Cup next summer.
Garber dismissed this notion.
“My view is, if we can get this done, we’ll fully be able to capitalize on the momentum of the World Cup,” Garber said. “I’m not remotely concerned about it. Making this change will be one of the biggest decisions MLS will have made in its history.”
