MLS chiefs unanimous that calendar shift will transform the transfer market

Tom Weber

• 17 Nov 2025 13:40 CST
• 4 min read

News

Club bosses around Major League Soccer are unanimous in their belief that the shift to a European calendar will prove transformative to the transfer market.

On Thursday, the MLS Board of Governors approved a proposed switch from the current spring-fall schedule to a European-style summer-spring calendar starting in the 2027 season. This is a monumental change for the league and has evoked a mostly favourable reaction.

There will be a winter break between early December and early February, but doubts remain as to whether this decision will prove positive for Northern markets like Toronto and Minnesota. Games in early December or late February could be a pretty miserable experience for match-going fans.

However, there is no doubt that this shift has the potential to significantly boost MLS's popularity. The playoffs will be held in May and will no longer be interrupted by an international break or overshadowed by the final stretches of the NBA and NFL seasons.

The alignment with the European calendar will also have a seismic influence on how MLS clubs do business. Currently, MLS's primary window overlaps with the January window and runs into the final stage of the European season, making it incredibly difficult to attract elite players.

MLS chiefs optimistic about calendar change

According to The Athletic, the reception to this switch has been overwhelmingly positive within the upper echelons of MLS, especially as it pertains to transfers.

The outlet interviewed numerous front office figures around the league, and the response was unanimous: the calendar switch could prove transformative for MLS clubs in the transfer market. In terms of both incomings and sales, this change will help MLS franchises.

European clubs are more inclined to sell high-profile players in the summer than mid-season and, by the same token, are more willing to spend big on recruits.

“If I have to replace a center-back in January, [clubs in top five leagues] want to give us a s*** player because teams don’t want to sell their good players then,” one club official is quoted as saying.

To further boost MLS clubs' chances of attracting high-level players, MLS is planning to keep its window open beyond the close of the top European windows, which generally shut on the same day.

In doing so, MLS is hoping to attract players who did not manage to complete a move to a big club in time. “Instead of going to Turkey or Greece, those players will come to us," a recruitment boss said confidently.

However, it is acknowledged that this change could also have unintended consequences. In recent years, many MLS clubs have looked to South America for value, but the calendar shift will put the league out of sync with its counterparts to the south.

This will make acquiring South American talent more difficult and give the big leagues on the continent, chiefly Brazil's Serie A, a crucial advantage in the market.

Some of the club bosses also noted that the alignment with Europe could ultimately mean very little if MLS's stringent roster rules remain in place. “It isn’t just about changing dates, it’s about unlocking our full potential,” Seattle Sounders chief Craig Waibel cautioned.

Inter Miami star Lionel Messi recently called on MLS to loosen its financial regulations to give clubs more freedom in the market and, in turn, to make the league more attractive.

It could easily be argued that artificial spending limits have held the league back more than a non-European calendar in recent years.

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