MLS 2027 Sprint Season: Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami to face Cincinnati in February 19 opener

File Image: Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami will take on FC Cincinnati on February 19 in the opening match of the MLS 2027 Sprint Season. | Photo Credit: Reuters

Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami will face FC Cincinnati on February 19 in the opening match of Major League Soccer’s (MLS) 2027 Sprint Season, as the league prepares to switch to a new summer-to-spring calendar.

The opening fixture will take place at Nu Stadium in Miami, beginning a shortened campaign designed to help MLS move away from its traditional schedule and align more closely with major European football leagues.

The Sprint Season will feature a 14-match regular season for each club, followed by the playoffs in May.

Among the other prominent fixtures announced, LA Galaxy will host city rivals Los Angeles FC in the ‘El Trafico’ derby on April 10.

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The regular season will conclude on May 8 with ‘Decision Day’, featuring the Hudson River Derby between New York City FC and the New York Red Bulls.

The first full MLS season under the revised calendar will begin in mid-to-late July 2027 and conclude in May 2028. The competition will also have a winter break, with no matches scheduled in January.

The decision to change the calendar followed a two-year review aimed at bringing the league’s transfer activity closer to the global summer window, reducing clashes with FIFA international fixtures and moving the MLS Cup playoffs to May.

MLS Commissioner Don Garber previously described the change as one of the most significant decisions in the league’s history.

United States men’s national team coach Mauricio Pochettino has also supported the move, highlighting its potential benefits for clubs, coaches and player development.