The United States, Canada and Mexico will be the hosts of the FIFA World Cup 2026, meaning thousands of fans from around the globe will travel there to experience the most important sporting event on the planet. A situation of that scale requires specific preparations, and that includes Major League Soccer.
On Thursday, MLS announced its calendar for the 2026 season and highlighted a major change: the league will pause for nearly two months to focus efforts on organizing the World Cup.
Beginning May 25, all MLS activity will be suspended as preparations begin to welcome the FIFA tournament, which will kick off on Thursday, June 11. That day, Mexico will take center stage in the opening match at Estadio Azteca against a yet-to-be-determined opponent from Group A.
The World Cup final is scheduled for Sunday, July 19, at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. However, by that point the number of matches in the FIFA tournament will be significantly reduced, allowing MLS to resume official play a few days earlier: league matches are expected to return between July 16 and 17. In total, the pause will last 52 days.
Key dates in the MLS 2026 calendar
According to the schedule posted on the league’s official website, the 2026 season will begin the weekend of February 21–22. The tournament’s opening match is set for Saturday night at the LA Coliseum between Los Angeles FC and Inter Miami. The presence of Heung-min Son and Lionel Messi will add a special dimension to the matchup.
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The next major date on the calendar also involves the Herons. On April 4, Inter Miami will open their new stadium, Freedom Park, in a matchup against Austin FC. It will be their sixth game of the season but their first at home, as all previous matches were scheduled on the road.
The MLS All-Star Game will take place on July 29, while the regular season will conclude on November 7 with Decision Day. From there, everything will be set for the conference playoffs and the chase for the MLS Cup.
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How many 2026 World Cup matches will be played in the United States?
With the expanded 48-team format, the 2026 World Cup will be the largest in history. A total of 104 matches will be played, a significant increase from the 64 staged up through Qatar 2022. It will also be the first time three countries host the tournament. The only previous multi-nation hosting was South Korea–Japan 2002.
Among the three hosts, the United States is the main organizer and will therefore stage the most games. Of the 104 matches, 78 will be played across 11 U.S. venues, while Mexico and Canada will host 13 each. The opening match will be in Mexico, while the final will be held in New Jersey.
