MLS 2022 season start date, schedule format and conference alignment announced

Mark your calendars. The 2022 Major League Soccer season will kick off on Saturday, Feb. 26, MLS announced Friday.

That marks the earliest ever start to an MLS season, designed to align with the 2022 international soccer calendar, which will see the World Cup begin in Qatar on Nov. 21.

The full 2022 regular-season schedule will be announced later this year.

2022 MLS season key dates:

• Season start: Feb. 26
• Decision Day: Oct. 9
• MLS Cup: Nov. 5

Schedule format

• All teams will play a 34-game regular season – 17 home games and 17 away games
• All teams will face each of their conference opponents twice and play eight non-conference opponents once
• The MLS regular season schedule will consist of all weekend matches with the exception of five, or fewer, midweek matches – targeting one each in May, June and July, and two in August. The midweek match dates for each team will not be scheduled in consecutive weeks.
• MLS will seek to avoid scheduling matches during the FIFA international windows in March, June or September – only at a team’s request will MLS consider scheduling a match during the March window, or during the second weekend of the June double window

Conference alignment

• Both the Eastern and Western Conferences will have 14 teams
• Charlotte FC will compete in the Eastern Conference as they join MLS in 2022
• Nashville SC will move to the Western Conference