SOCCER
MLS 2023 schedule: when does the Regular Season begin?
MLS have announced their schedule for the 2023 Regular Season, which will begin in February. Here are the key dates.
Major League Soccer have announced their schedule for the 2023 Regular Season, which will run between Saturday, 25 February and Saturday, 21 October. It has also been revealed that there will be a new way to watch MLS in the new year, with Apple TV showing all Regular Season matches – and more – via a season pass.
What are the key dates for the MLS 2023 Regular Season?
Saturday, 25 February – MLS is Back Opening Weekend
- Nashville SC host NYFC in the first game (kick off at 4:30pm ET)
- The standout fixture sees LA Galaxy take on LAFC in El Tráfico (kick off at 9:30pm ET)
13-20 May - Rivalry Week
The league’s biggest rivals will face off against each other on four different days between 13 and 20 May.
Saturday, 15 July-Saturday, 20 August – Leagues Cup break
The new Leagues Cup is an annual, month-long event which will see 47 MLS and Liga MX clubs compete for a shiny new trophy.
Saturday, 23 September – MLS Cup rematch
The best Regular Season teams from the previous campaign – Philadelphia Union and LAFC – meet in a rematch of the the 2022 MLS Cup.
Saturday, 21 October – Decision Day
The Regular Season’s final matchday gives clubs their last opportunity to battle it out for a playoff spot in the Western and Eastern Conferences.
How to watch MLS in 2023
For the first time ever, fans in over 100 different countries will be able to watch every single MLS match using an MLS Season Pass which will be available on Apple TV. The Pass will include every Regular Season fixture, the Audi 2023 MLS Cup Playoffs and the Leagues Cup.
- For existing Apple TV+ subscribers, it will cost $12.99/month or $79 for the season.
- For anyone who isn’t an Apple TV+ subscriber, it will cost $14.99/month or $99 for the season.
The MLS Season Pass will be available from 1 February, more than three weeks before the campaign gets back underway.
Certain matches will also be shown on FOX networks in the U.S., and on TSN and RDS in Canada.
- United States: FOX Sports will air 34 games in 2023, including 15 matches on FOX and 19 games on FS1, with all FOX Sports broadcasts also providing Spanish-language on FOX Deportes.
- Canada: The extensive schedule of TSN and RDS Regular Season matches has yet not be announced, but at least one match per week will feature a Canadian team.
When will MLS matches be played?
The MLS have stated the following regarding kickoff times for the 2023 season:
“The majority of games during the 2023 season will be played on Saturdays, and select Wednesdays, with 7:30 pm local start times. To complement the action, MLS Season Pass will offer a five-hour live whip-around show, capturing all of the key moments from every match from the start of the Eastern Conference games through the final whistle of the Western Conference games (7:30 pm ET to 12:30 am ET).”
How many teams will play in each MLS Conference?
With the introduction of new expansion team St. Louis City FC into the Western Conference, Nashville SC have moved from the Western into the Eastern Conference. The teams in the two Conferences will play each other as follows:
The 15 Eastern Conference teams will play:
- Two games vs. each intra-conference opponent (28 games)
- One game vs. six different cross-conference opponents (6 games)
The 14 Western Conference teams will play:
- Two games vs. each intra-conference opponent (26 games)
- One game vs. 1 or 2 additional intra-conference opponents (1-2 games)
- One game vs. 6 or 7 different cross-conference opponents (6-7 games)
When are there FIFA International breaks in 2023?
MLS will take a break during the October (9-17) and November (13-21) FIFA international windows. 13 clubs took up the option to play during the June (12-20) and September (4-12) windows.