Friday, December 20, 2024

MLS schedule: Notable games, dates for the 2025 season

Must read

CHARLOTTE, NC – MLS will open its 30th season on Feb. 22 with 13 games. Expansion franchise San Diego FC will begin its season the next night against the Los Angeles Galaxy. (Photo by Eston Parker/ISI Photos/Getty Images)

MLS has released the schedule for the 2025 regular season, which will kick off Saturday, Feb. 22 with 13 games and see the league’s 30th and newest franchise — San Diego FC — open up against the defending champion Los Angeles Galaxy.

The 2025 schedule format will see all 30 teams playing 34 games — 17 home, 17 away — and play conference opponents twice, as well as six different cross-conference opponents.

Some highlights of the newly-released schedule:

  • Lionel Messi and Inter Miami, the defending Supporters’ Shield winners, will open their season at home against New York City FC on Feb. 22.

  • Leagues Cup, the CONCACAF tournament between LIGA MX and MLS sides, will take place from July 29-August 31. The change this year is that it will be held during the regular seasons of both leagues. No more pausing league schedules to play out the games.

  • The MLS season will pause, however, for the FIFA Club World Cup and CONCACAF Gold Cup between June 15-24 with a number of venues being used for both tournaments. Inter Miami and the Seattle Sounders will participate in the Club World Cup.

  • MLS Decision Day, the final day of the regular season, will take place on Saturday, Oct. 18 with Eastern Conference teams playing at 6 p.m. ET and Western Conference games beginning at 9 p.m. ET. The only inter-conference game that day will see NYCFC host the Seattle Sounders.

  • To honor its 30th season of MLS, the San Jose Earthquakes will host D.C. United on April 6 on the 29th anniversary of the league’s first-ever match. On July 12, a rematch of the first MLS Cup between the Galaxy and D.C. United will take place.

  • Austin FC will host this coming season’s All-Star Game on Wednesday, July 23. The day before will see the return of the MLS Skills Challenge. The game’s format has yet to be announced. Last season a LIGA MX All-Star team defeated the MLS All-Stars 4-1 in Columbus.

Feb. 22: Regular season begins
Feb. 23: LA Galaxy vs. San Diego FC (first game for San Diego)
March 1: San Diego FC vs. St. Louis CITY SC (home opener for San Diego)
April 19: Columbus Crew vs. Inter Miami at Huntington Bank Field in Cleveland, Ohio
May 10: New York Red Bulls vs. LA Galaxy (MLS Cup 2024 rematch)
May 17: NYCFC vs. NY Red Bulls (Hudson River Derby)
May 17: Portland Timbers vs. Seattle Sounders
May 18: LAFC vs. LA Galaxy (El Tráfico derby)
June 15-24: No games due to FIFA Club World Cup and CONCACAD Gold Cup
June 28: SJ Earthquakes vs. LA Galaxy at Stanford University
July 19: NY Red Bulls vs. Inter Miami
July 29-August 31: Leagues Cup
Aug. 16: Inter Miami vs. LA Galaxy
Sept. 13: SJ Earthquakes vs. LAFC at Levi’s Stadium

You can see each team’s regular-season schedule here.

Latest article