PALM BEACH – Major League Soccer will overhaul its competition calendar beginning in 2027, shifting to a summer-to-spring season that aligns with Europe’s top leagues and moving its playoffs to May.

The new format will begin with a shortened transition campaign from February to May 2027 featuring a 14-game regular season, playoffs and MLS Cup final.

FIFA, as far back as the presidency of Sepp Blatter, has been urging such a change as a positive step for the US game on the world stage.

The first full season under the new timetable will run from mid-to-late July 2027 through late May 2028, with a midwinter break from mid-December to early February and no league matches in January.

Commissioner Don Garber called the move “one of the most important decisions in our history,” saying alignment with global schedules would boost clubs’ competitiveness, improve transfer-market activity and ensure the playoffs “take center stage without interruption”.

The calendar change and a new regular-season structure were approved Thursday at an MLS Board of Governors meeting in Palm Beach, Florida.

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