Friday, December 20, 2024

MLS 2025 schedule release: Notable games, dates for the upcoming season

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MLS will open its 30th season on Feb. 22, 2025 with 13 games. (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-Aug. 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 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)
June 15-24: No games due to FIFA Club World Cup and CONCACAF Gold Cup
June 28: SJ Earthquakes vs. LA Galaxy at Stanford University
July 19: NY Red Bulls vs. Inter Miami
July 29-Aug. 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.

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