major league soccer The 31st season begins this weekend, beginning one of the most important two-year periods in league history.
This summer, the World Cup will be held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, and MLS will be held in 2027. Switch from summer to spring schedule This is to work more closely with our international counterparts.
MLS will take a seven-week break from May 25th to July 16th for the World Cup. Many of the league’s stars are expected to take part in the tournament, including Inter Miami’s Lionel Messi and LAFC’s Son Heung-min.
MLS is then hoping for a so-called “World Cup bump,” an increase in interest that both men’s and women’s leagues often experience around soccer’s premier tournament.
“The World Cup will accelerate the growth of our sport across North America in a way never seen before,” said Commissioner Don Garber. “Major League Soccer occupies a unique position at the center of it, with all 13 host cities in the United States and Canada home to MLS clubs.” “We expect a record number of players to participate in the tournament, and our facilities and community will play a role in hosting the tournament.”
The changes to next year’s schedule are aimed at putting MLS in a more competitive position in the transfer market, while also freeing up players for national team duty in major international tournaments in the summer.
Under the new calendar, league play will begin in mid-to-late July 2027, with the final day of the regular season in April 2028. The playoffs and championship will be held in May.
The league went on a long break over the winter, with only a few games played in early December and no games in January, before resuming in early to mid-February.
“Our new format makes sense for players, fans and clubs, aligning us with global transfer markets, reducing national team contention and enhancing the timing of the play-offs,” Gerber said. “This accurately reflects the future direction of MLS, where MLS not only partners with the best leagues in the world, but competes with them.”
Garber described this next phase as MLS 3.0. Other issues MLS is currently considering are changes to the playoff format and conference alignment.
The MLS season opens this weekend with a marquee match between Son’s LAFC and Messi’s Miami on Saturday night in front of an expected crowd of around 70,000 at the Los Angeles Coliseum.
power of miami
How did Inter Miami build off last year’s championship season in MLS? Of course they got better.
In addition to Messi, twice named league MVP In addition to his 29 goals in conference play, he was joined by fellow former Barcelona teammate Luis Suárez, as well as Mexican international Germain Bertelame and Canadian goalkeeper Dane St. Clair.
The Herons also signed Rodrigo De Paul from Atletico Madrid on a permanent deal.
Belterrame, who was born in Argentina and naturalized in Mexico and plays for the Mexican national team, is from Monterrey in Liga MX and has scored 68 goals in 153 appearances since 2022.
This addition should help compensate for the departures of Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets, who later retired. Miami defeated Vancouver Whitecaps 3-1 In last season’s MLS Cup title game.
New celebrities appearing
In addition to Miami’s Bartelame, there are several other notable additions to MLS this season.
Among them is Colombian representative James Rodríguez. He has a short-term contract with Minnesota United. Rodriguez’s contract runs until June, with a club option for the remainder of the season after the World Cup.
The deal has significant implications for the midfielder as well as for the Loons. Rodriguez needs to get quality playing time if he is to be selected for Colombia’s World Cup squad.
“Yes, it’s true that I’ve played in big clubs and good clubs, but I wanted this league. I wanted to play here,” Rodriguez said. “That’s why I’m here to help and hopefully get a win. I always want to win, so that’s what I want.”
Other major offseason acquisitions include forwards Timo Werner with the San Jose Earthquakes He is from RB Leipzig in the German Bundesliga. DC United has acquired Romanian forward Rui Munteanu. and Guilherme, a Brazilian winger who joined Houston Dynamo from Santos.
coaching carousel
Nearly a third of the league’s teams have new coaches this season. Perhaps the most notable of the new hires is former U.S. national team captain Michael Bradley, who will become head coach of the New York Red Bulls, his father’s former position.
“From day one, we’re going to set out to create an environment that challenges our players, brings out the best in them, and develops them individually. And we’re going to build a team that when they step on the field, people watching see a different team, and when they leave the stadium, they want to come back,” Bradley said.
Tata Martino will return to Atlanta United, the club he led to the MLS Cup title in 2018 before spending time with the Mexican national team and Inter Miami.
Other new coaches this season include Henrik Rydstrom of the Columbus Crew, Matt Wells of the Colorado Rapids, Marc dos Santos of LAFC, Cameron Knowles of Minnesota United, Marko Mitrovic of the New England Revolution, Rafael Wicki of Sporting Kansas City and Yoan Dummett of St. Louis City.
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