2026 MLS Season Begins with High-Profile Matches and Strategic Changes

Lionel Messi, Son Heung-Min, and Thomas Müller are set to commence their 2026 Major League Soccer (MLS) campaigns on opening day. Son and LAFC will square off against Messi’s Inter Miami CF at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on February 21. Concurrently, Müller and Vancouver Whitecaps FC will launch their home schedule on the same day against Real Salt Lake at BC Place. Both matches are anticipated as marquee highlights of the MLS is Back weekend.

The inaugural match at Miami Freedom Park will showcase Inter Miami CF hosting Austin FC, marking the first event at the club’s new 25,000-seat stadium. This venue replaces DRV PNK Stadium as the permanent home of Miami, featuring enhanced facilities, expanded hospitality areas, and a prime location adjacent to downtown. The opening on April 4 is a significant date on the 2026 MLS calendar.

Miami Freedom Park is the first of three new MLS stadiums set to debut in successive years, followed by NYCFC’s Etihad Park in 2027 and the Chicago Fire FC’s new downtown stadium in 2028.

The MLS will pause league play from May 25 to July 16 to accommodate the FIFA World Cup 2026, which will be hosted across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. This hiatus allows MLS players involved in the tournament, along with fans and venues, to focus on the World Cup experience. Five MLS stadiums will function as World Cup venues, with additional sites serving as national team base camps.

All 510 regular-season matches in 2026 will be available for streaming on Apple TV in over 100 countries, eliminating local blackouts. The MLS is integrating its broadcast package into Apple’s main service instead of a separate Season Pass. Selected matches will continue to air on traditional partners in the U.S., including the FOX family of networks, while Canadian broadcasts will be covered by TSN and RDS. This shift positions Apple TV as the exclusive global platform for live MLS coverage next season.

After the World Cup semifinals, the MLS will resume with a series of high-profile rivalry matches on July 16 and 17, building momentum as the World Cup bronze final and final are scheduled for July 18 and 19. This strategic timing aims to leverage the excitement from the global tournament and reinvigorate the league’s fanbase for the remainder of the season.