CARSON, Calif. – MLS Commissioner Don Garber said the league is considering several changes to the calendar as early as next season, as well as the long-term possibility of switching to a fall to spring schedule that mirrors those of the European leagues.
Garber’s comments come next an October report from The Athletic detailing how senior players in the league are considering the schedule shift after the 2026 World Cup. Garber noted in his annual State of the League address on Friday that this isn’t the first time MLS has considered this move, but the league has never been as serious as it is now.
“It is important to point out that in 2004 and 2005, and then again in 2014 and 2015, the league looked at a schedule change,” he said. I think we may be the only league, or only two leagues in the world, that works on our schedule, but it’s complicated, and I say this to all of you regularly. We’re on the other side [four] time zones, multiple weather factors – we’re traveling across a continent and making those changes is something we have to think about very carefully.
“I think we are considering this opportunity to change more than ever before, but it is not something we want to talk about right now. The schedule is getting busier, especially in the summers. June, now that the time has come Due to most international tournaments We’re going to dig into it even deeper than we’ve ever done in the past, but we still have a lot of work to do and that work continues.”
While Garber did not put a timeline on that decision, he outlined several scheduling issues that MLS will face for the 2025 season. In addition to the regular MLS season, clubs will participate in a version of the US Open Cup, Leagues Cup and the expanded FIFA Club World Cup. There will be format changes to both the Open Cup and Leagues Cup formats for 2025, especially after MLS caused friction by pulling a majority of its teams from the Open Cup for 2024.
“Next year we will participate again in the US Open Cup,” he said. “We’ll probably have more teams.”
Garber also said that the Leagues Cup will look different in 2025 and that he can expect news soon ESPN reports that the number of MLS clubs participating in the league could drop to 18. While the commissioner did not go into detail about the changes, he did explain the need for the format change.
“We need more MLS vs. Liga MX matches,” Garber said. “That was really the aim of the Leagues Cup in the beginning. I remember being here for the Super League final where LA Galaxy were there [at] Cruz Azul, for you historians. That was in 2005. We’ve been trying to figure out how to get this right. I think we did really well with the Leagues Cup. It worked really well the first year. That wasn’t just about it [Lionel] Messi. It’s just the way the tournament is set up and we’re looking at adjustments that will, I think, make it more focused on what we’re trying to achieve, which is this great rivalry between our two leagues.”
The regular season and playoff schedule could also look different starting in 2025 due to the addition of MLS’s 30th team, San Diego FC. Teams currently play 34 regular season games, usually against teams in their own conference, and then compete in a primarily single-elimination playoff format minus the best of three first-round series. However, the large number of teams opens up new possibilities for hosting competitions, although Garber admits the league doesn’t have the answers yet.
“We have to look at our competitive format,” he noted. “Should that change? Should it change the same? What are we going to do with our calendar? Can those changes be made? Do we have the same format for the conference? We’ll ask that question. I don’t have an answer to it, but we’re looking at it. Now that we have 30 teams, will we have the same playoff format? Maybe, maybe not, but all these things will lead to a path to grow our fan base and make our league more competitive.”
One thing he was able to confirm, however, is that MLS will take a full break for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and a partial break for the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. The details surrounding the break for next summer’s Club World Cup will “be announced sometime be completed by the end of next week.”