“It just feels like there’s more grace,” USWNT icon Tobin Heath once remarked while addressing the unusual soccer calendar that the United States follows—unlike most leagues in Europe and South America. Be it the women’s NWSL or the men’s Major League Soccer (MLS), both run on a spring-to-fall schedule, setting them apart from global norms. While that may not seem like a big deal, the real complications show up during mid-year international tournaments—and with the 2026 FIFA World Cup coming to the U.S., those challenges are only going to grow.

How is that a problem exactly? In spring-to-fall leagues, players often leave their clubs mid-season to join national camps and return later, needing to readjust. That constant disruption can throw off momentum and performance. And with the U.S. hosting the next World Cup, MLS will have to pause its entire domestic season—putting even more pressure on a system that’s already out of sync with the rest of the world. It only turned up the heat on MLS owners having to finally make the switch to the system that Europe’s biggest leagues already follow.

On that note, all the stakeholders gathered in downtown Austin this week, where North America’s soccer business community has assembled for the 2025 MLS All-Star Game at Q2 Stadium. But the focus was on Wednesday’s Board of Governors meeting, where club owners were expected to vote in favor of the calendar shift, aside from other key discussions tied to the 2026 World Cup. However, according to a report from Sports Business Journal writer Alex M. Silverman, that shift may still be further away than expected.

Apparently, MLS owners have once again held off on voting for a shift to the European calendar. Even though more clarity is expected at the Commissioner’s pre-game press conference at 6:30 PM CT, Silverman insists that the agenda was eventually moved. In fact, insiders at Sports Business Journal believe there was hardly any real sense of urgency during this meeting—unlike the April session in Chicago, which was seen as the last real chance to approve the calendar transition, especially with the 2026 edition now inching closer.

Then again, that meeting also wouldn’t have provided an instant change in the schedule, when it could rather be implemented directly from the 2027 season, per the statement from the MLS Board of Governors. “Any potential changes would not take effect until the 2027 season at the earliest. This next phase will include additional consultation with key stakeholders and the development of a comprehensive transition plan.“

Even MLS commissioner Don Garber expressed his intention of changing the soccer calendar. He highlighted that the league itself faces challenges due to the crowded schedule, challenges for players, teams. Yet, he believes now isn’t the time to address this situation, especially with the World Cup on the horizon. “It’s not something that we’re ready to talk about right now… [It] has us digging in even deeper than we ever had in the past, but we’ve got a lot of work to do, and that work is ongoing,” he added.

MLS may accept the European-style calendar, but not now. And the reason is not just the looming World Cup, but also certain challenges that the stakeholders face.

Not the MLS, but the 2026 FIFA World Cup at least has broken some ground

Even if the MLS owners couldn’t agree on the calendar change, the brighter side of the Wednesday board meeting saw some major updates for the 2026 FIFA World Cup being discussed. Prospects like marketing strategies, scheduling adjustments, and their collaborative hospitality sales effort with sports event company On Location were mostly discussed. With the scheduling and venues decided, ticketing and potential revenue capitalization methods were also discussed.

As for the MLS, certain factors prohibited the owners from making a quick decision on the calendar change. One of them was how teams in colder climates would be affected, as they may face the risk of losing revenue from popular summer fixtures in June and July, which would be replaced by games in colder months like December and February.

This winter problem may also force a few clubs to make some upgrades to their facilities, including heated pitches and indoor establishments. Hence, the upcoming negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement urged for the acceptance of a European calendar with the MLS Players Association, as the current CBA runs out before the 2028 season.

However, on a positive note, the MLS-Apple partnership was also on the agenda. Senior executives Eddy Cue and Oliver Schusser addressed the matters along with regular updates on competition matters, commercial plans, and financial performance.

In a nutshell, the developments for the MLS regarding the calendar shift are underway, but nothing can be decided instantly. Either way, we would like to know your thoughts in the comments.