MLS regular season to pause for FIFA World Cup 2026 hosted in North America
2026 MLS season highlighted by opening of Inter Miami CF’s new home at Miami Freedom Park
NEW YORK (Thursday, November 20, 2025) – Major League Soccer today announced the schedule and broadcast details for the 2026 MLS regular season. The 2026 season will be highlighted by the opening of Inter Miami CF’s new home at Miami Freedom Park in April and this summer’s FIFA World Cup 2026 in North America. In preparation for the tournament, MLS will take a break from games, allowing participating players, host venues, and fans to enjoy a month of World Cup action before celebrating the return of MLS matches in July, just days before the World Cup final.
All 510 MLS regular season matches in 2026 will be available on Apple TV in more than 100 countries and regions, offering fans a single destination to watch their favorite teams with no blackouts. In addition, select MLS matches will also be available on the FOX family of networks in the United States and TSN and RDS in Canada.
The MLS regular season kicks off on Saturday, February 21, and will see each team play 34 games, 17 home and 17 on the road. Teams will play conference opponents twice (28 games), once at home and once away, and will play six different cross-conference opponents (six games). The MLS regular season will build to a crescendo with the final day of action, Decision Day 2026, on Saturday, November 7, to decide who is in and who is out of the Audi 2026 MLS Cup Playoffs.
Click HERE to view the complete 2026 MLS regular season schedule.
Marquee Matches for MLS is Back Weekend Feb. 21-22
The 2026 season kicks off in style as February 21 and 22 see a full slate of 15 season-opening matches. St. Louis CITY SC plays host to Charlotte FC at Energizer Park to ring in the new season (2:30 p.m. ET, Apple TV) before FC Cincinnati hosts Tata Martino’s Atlanta United at TQL Stadium for the first of 34 FOX Sports matches in 2026 (4:30 p.m. ET, FOX, FOX Deportes, Apple TV). The highlight of the night will see Los Angeles Football Club take on Inter Miami CF in an iconic setting, hosting the match at the storied Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum (9:30 p.m. ET, Apple TV). The following day will see a doubleheader that begins with LA Galaxy hosting New York City FC for Sunday Night Soccer presented by Continental Tire (7 p.m. ET, Apple TV), and FS1 showcasing the Western Conference clash between Seattle Sounders FC and Colorado Rapids (9 p.m. ET, FS1, FOX Deportes, Apple TV).
Inter Miami CF to Play Inaugural Match in New Stadium at Miami Freedom Park on April 4
The 2026 regular schedule is highlighted by the introduction of the league’s newest soccer-specific stadium as Inter Miami CF hosts Austin FC for the inaugural match in the club’s new 25,000-seat stadium at Miami Freedom Park on April 4 (7:30 p.m. ET, Apple TV). Inter Miami’s new stadium is the first of three MLS stadiums set to open in consecutive years, including New York City FC’s new home, Etihad Park, arriving in 2027, and Chicago Fire FC’s new downtown stadium set to open in 2028.
MLS to Pause League Action During FIFA World Cup 2026 from May 25 – July 16
As North America welcomes the world for FIFA World Cup 2026, MLS will take a break from games, allowing participating players, host venues, and fans to enjoy a full month of World Cup action. With a record number of MLS players expected on World Cup rosters, MLS will pause league play after matches on May 24, ahead of the FIFA mandatory player report date on May 25 and before resuming at the end of the international tournament. Five MLS stadiums will play host to World Cup games during the break, with many additional venues serving as potential host sites for national team base camps.
MLS Action Returns Ahead of World Cup Final
Following the FIFA World Cup Semifinals, the passion and energy of FIFA World Cup 2026 will carry through to club competition as the MLS schedule reignites with a selection of marquee rivalry matches on July 16 and 17, before the World Cup bronze final on Saturday, July 18, and the 2026 World Cup Final on Sunday, July 19.
With matches showcasing the very best of MLS across multiple regions of the U.S. and Canada, the eyes of the world will enjoy four MLS matchups on July 16, including the historic Cascadia rivalry between Seattle Sounders FC and the Portland Timbers, and two marquee matches on FOX Sports and Apple TV on July 17, including El Trafico between the LA Galaxy and LAFC.
Full match details below:
Thursday, July 16, 2026
7:30 p.m. – CF Montréal vs. Toronto FC (Stade Saputo, Apple TV)
8:30 p.m. – Chicago Fire FC vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC (Soldier Field, Apple TV)
8:30 p.m. – St. Louis CITY SC vs. Sporting Kansas City (Energizer Park, Apple TV)
10:30 p.m. – Seattle Sounders FC vs. Portland Timbers (Lumen Field, Apple TV)
Friday, July 17, 2026
8 p.m. – Nashville SC vs. Atlanta United (GEODIS Park, FOX, FOX Deportes, Apple TV)
10:30 p.m. – LA Galaxy vs. LAFC (Dignity Health Sports Park, FS1, FOX Deportes, Apple TV)
2026 MLS All-Star Game in Charlotte on July 29
Charlotte FC will host the 2026 MLS All-Star Game at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Wednesday, July 29 (Apple TV). The MLS All-Star Skills Challenge presented by AT&T is scheduled for Tuesday, July 28. Additional details on the 2026 MLS All-Star Skills Challenge presented by AT&T and the opponent for the 2026 MLS All-Star Game will be announced at a later date.
MLS Decision Day 2026 on Nov. 7
The MLS regular season concludes with Decision Day 2026 on Saturday, November 7. The slate, which features Eastern Conference matches kicking off at 4 p.m. ET and Western Conference matches beginning at 7 p.m. ET on Apple TV, decides who is in and who is out in the Audi 2026 MLS Cup Playoffs. Additionally, CF Montréal will host Vancouver Whitecaps FC in an interconference match at 4 p.m. ET on the final matchday of the season.
Uninterrupted Audi 2026 MLS Cup Playoffs and 2026 MLS Cup presented by Audi
Following Decision Day 2026 on November 7, the league will observe the November FIFA window before beginning one month of uninterrupted Audi 2026 MLS Cup Playoffs action, culminating in Major League Soccer’s championship match, 2026 MLS Cup presented by Audi. The complete postseason schedule will be announced at a later date.
Every Match on Apple TV
Starting next season, fans will be able to watch every regular season match with an Apple TV subscription*. Apple TV will broadcast every MLS match, complemented by studio programming and a wide range of on-demand content. Subscribers can enjoy MLS coverage alongside Apple TV’s acclaimed lineup of original series, films, documentaries, and sports offerings. In addition, an Apple TV subscription will be included as part of 2026 full-season ticket packages with MLS clubs.
Returning for 2026 is Sunday Night Soccer presented by Continental Tire, a highlighted game on Sunday evenings with enhanced production as well as immersive pre- and post-game coverage that brings fans deeper into the matchday experience.
MLS on FOX, TSN, and RDS
Returning for its 12th consecutive season, FOX Sports will air 34 MLS games in 2026 in the U.S., including 15 matches on FOX and 19 matches on FS1, with all FOX Sports broadcasts also providing Spanish-language coverage on FOX Deportes.
The complete schedule of TSN and RDS regular season matches, which will include at least one match per week featuring an MLS Canadian club, will be announced in the coming weeks.
*An Apple TV subscription does not include third-party branded subscription services or content available for rental or purchase in the Apple TV app
