The 2026 MLS season will feature a 52-day World Cup break and conclude in mid-December, serving as a virtual preview for the impending calendar shift for the 2027-28 season, the league announced on Thursday. In addition to these new features, this was also the earliest the schedule has ever been released, something that usually happens in December.
The Sounders will open the season at home against the Colorado Rapids but then take a five-game road trip — their longest ever — while Lumen Field is prepared for the World Cup. But when they return home, it will be to a pristine grass field where they’ll play six more games before taking a break for the World Cup along with the rest of the league. At that point, the Sounders will have played half of their 14 games at home.
Unannounced is where the Sounders will play their Concacaf Champions Cup Round of 16 home leg, which is scheduled for March 17-19. That will almost certainly be played at an alternate venue as the grass installation will likely start shortly after their match on Feb. 22 and is unlikely to be finished long before their next schedule home game on April 12. That does mean the Sounders will likely be able to play a potential Concacaf Champions Cup quarterfinal at Lumen, though.
The Sounders will return from the World Cup break to play the Portland Timbers at home on July 16, part of a six-game slate being played before the World Cup final on July 19. The Sounders’ only other match during a FIFA window is their home game against Minnesota United on Sept. 26.
Other schedule highlights
- The Sounders’ other Cascadia Cup matches are on Aug. 1 at Portland; Aug. 16 against the Whitecaps; and on Oct. 31 at Vancouver, the first time since 2010 that the Sounders will play on Halloween.
- The Sounders will get their rematches against Minnesota United on March 22 (road) and Sept. 26 (home).
- The Sounders will host LAFC on Decision Day (Nov. 7).
- The Sounders will play 11 of their 34 games on short rest, but six of those are at home and two of those are during a three-game homestand.
- The Sounders have three Sunday home games and four midweek home games.
- Only one home game will kick off in the afternoon, Aug. 29 against the Chicago Fire. One home game kicks off at 4 PM; one kicks off at 5:30 PM, four kick off at 6 PM; three kick off at 6:30 PM; and the other seven kick off at 7:30 PM.
- The toughest stretch of the season could well be the final three games, which will see the Sounders play at San Diego (Oct. 24), at Vancouver (Oct. 31) and close out at home against LAFC (Nov. 7).
- There were no announcements made about the Leagues Cup or MLS Playoff formats, nor were dates announced. But there is a conspicuous hole in the calendar the week of Aug. 3-9 that would make sense for Leagues Cup. If the playoffs are cut down to a month, as the release suggests, MLS Cup would likely be on Dec. 12 or 19.
