Everything NYCFC supporters should know about the changes to MLS

On Wednesday, it was reported that Major League Soccer teams, including New York City FC, were voting on changes to the league. The vote involved the calendar and the structure.

Then, on Thursday, the vote was conducted. The change to the calendar is official: MLS will align the calendar to match the majority of leagues around the world, switching to a summer-to-spring schedule rather than late winter to late fall. This change is expected to occur in the summer of 2027, with a shortened season taking place from February to May before the new calendar begins.

Notably, the report from The Athletic said the league would split into new divisions of six teams, but that has not been confirmed yet by MLS. But what has been confirmed?

The changes for NYCFC and MLS

According to NYCFC, the "regular season will kick off in mid-to-late July 2027 and conclude with the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs and MLS Cup presented by Audi in late May 2028." There will also be a "midwinter break from mid-December through early February, with no league matches scheduled in January." The regular season will end in April.

In other words, the winter break will not necessarily occur in the middle of the season, since it is expected that about five months of the regular season, give or take, will be played prior to the pause. After the break, two to three months, give or take, will be played before the postseason.

Additionally, it appears that the entirety of the MLS Cup Playoffs will take place in May, rather than late October to early December. Of course, there is currently a break in the playoffs due to the international break. By playing in May, that would not happen since there is no FIFA international window during that month.

Speaking about FIFA international breaks, the new calendar would mean that there would be fewer "conflicts between MLS league matches and national team call-ups for players, particularly during summer tournaments." There is, though, the question of whether there would still be some games during the international windows, for there was no declaration of eliminating games in full. Of course, that could be decided down the road.

One other major reason for the change in the MLS calendar, other than aligning with other major leagues, is the primary transfer window. The new schedule "allows MLS clubs to participate more effectively in the world’s primary transfer window" and "fully acclimate summer transfers before the MLS regular season".

Hence, European-based players who arrive in the summer would not be thrown into a team and would take time to adjust to a roster already in the middle of a season. In reality, NYCFC is just seeing how great Nicolás Fernández Mercau can be since he arrived this summer. Like many, he took a few months to adjust. Ideally, the change will also make MLS more appealing, leading more players like Fernández Mercau to join the league.

Interestingly, despite the change in when games will be played, NYCFC and MLS said that 91% of the matches will remain during the months that games are played today. With the slight increase in winter fixtures, the league will work with teams in northern markets to ensure the schedule is friendlier with frigid temperatures and snow in mind. One would think the same would be considered for southern markets in the warmer weather.

What could the schedule look like?

Meanwhile, there might be the question about whether the midwinter break would cause a shorter season and higher congestion. Using NYCFC's 2025 schedule, the current regular season lasted about 239 days. While there was no true break for everyone, the Pigeons played just two matches in June and had two weeks in the summer for the Leagues Cup group round. So, in a way, it could be estimated that they had about a month off, or 30 days, excluding the other international windows. This would result in a 209-day regular season, which is an estimate.

So, let's say the regular season begins on July 24, 2027, and ends on April 23, 2028. That is about 275 days, and that does not include the break. Let's say that the break begins on December 13, 2027, and ends on February 5, 2028. That would be about 220 days, which is more days total than what NYCFC had in 2025, with the idea that they had about a full month using the 2025 schedule. Yes, they had the Leagues Cup, but they would have been off if they were not one of the 18 MLS teams in the tournament.

Basically, the amount of time of the regular season could easily take place in the new calendar. And perhaps the break will be even shorter than anticipated.

Nevertheless, NYCFC and MLS fans will not know what the schedule will truly be like until 2027. More details will be released as the next few years go by.