CARSON, California – MLS Commissioner Don Garber said the league is considering several changes to its schedule as early as next season, as well as the longer-term possibility of moving to a fall-to-spring schedule that reflects the of the European leagues.
Garber’s comments come after an October report from The Athletic detailing how the league’s top brass is considering the schedule change after the 2026 World Cup. Garber noted Friday in his annual state of the art address. It’s not the first time MLS has considered the move, but the league has never been as serious as it is now.
“It’s important to note that the league in 2004 and 2005, and then again in 2014 and 2015, sought a schedule change,” he said. I think we could be the only league, or the only two leagues in the world, that fit our schedule, but it’s complicated, and I tell all of you that regularly. we are on the other side [four] time zones, multiple weather factors – we travel across a continent and making those changes is something we have to think a lot about.
“I think we are considering, more than ever, this opportunity to change, but it is not something we are ready to talk about now. The schedule becomes tighter, the summers in particular. June, now that is “It has been taken into account.” most international tournaments, it makes us dig even deeper than we ever have in the past, but we have a lot of work to do and that work continues.”
Although Garber didn’t put a timeline on that decision, he outlined several scheduling concerns that MLS will have to deal with for the 2025 season. In addition to the MLS regular season, clubs will participate in some version of the U.S. Open Cup. , the Leagues Cup and the expanded FIFA Club World Cup. There will be format changes to both the Open Cup and Leagues Cup for 2025, particularly after MLS caused friction by removing most of its teams from the Open Cup for 2024.
“Next year we will participate in the US Open Cup again,” he said. “We’ll probably have more teams.”
Garber also said the Leagues Cup will look different in 2025 and to expect news soon, although ESPN reports that the number of MLS clubs participating in the competition could be reduced to 18. Although the commissioner did not go into detail about the changes, He did explain the need for the format change.
“We need more games between MLS and Liga MX,” Garber said. “That was really the goal of the Leagues Cup at the beginning. I remember being here for the Super League final where LA Galaxy were. [at] Cruz Azul, for you historians. That was in 2005. We’ve been trying to figure out how to do it right. I think we really got it right with the Leagues Cup. It worked super well the first year. It was not just about [Lionel] Messi. “It’s just the way the tournament played out and we’re looking at modifications that I think will make it more focused on what we’re trying to accomplish, which is this great rivalry between our two leagues.”
The regular season and playoff schedule could also look different starting in 2025 to account for the addition of MLS’ 30th team, San Diego FC. Currently, teams play 34 regular season games, mostly against teams from their own conference, and then participate in a mostly single-elimination playoff format minus the first-round best-of-three series. However, the large number of teams opens up new avenues for organizing the game, although Garber admits the league doesn’t have the answers yet.
“We have to analyze our competitive format,” he said. “Should that change? Should that change the same? What are we going to do with our schedule? Could those changes be made? Do we have the same conference setup? We’ll ask that question. I don’t have an answer, but we’re looking at it. Now “That we will have 30 teams, will we have the same playoff format? Maybe, maybe not, but all of those things will lead to a path to grow our fan base and make our league more competitive.”
However, one thing he was able to confirm is that MLS will take a complete break for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and a partial break for the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. The details on the World Cup break Next summer’s clubs will be defined “at the end of next week.”
