The 2026 MLS regular season schedule is here and FC Cincinnati is poised to continue their record breaking success over the past four years in one of the longest calendars in league history.

In a schedule filled with derby matches, familiar foes and a historic break in the middle for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Canada, the United States, and Mexico, The Orange and Blue will be bringing the same passion and energy to TQL Stadium as ever.

For a full list of the schedule click here. Let’s then look at some key dates, matchups and trends for the upcoming 2026 FC Cincinnati regular season schedule.

Start at home, finish at home

FC Cincinnati open the season at home for the fourth year in a row as they host Atlanta United FC for an opening day 4:30 p.m. kickoff on Saturday, February 21. That match will be broadcast nationally on FOX.

To then close the season FC Cincinnati play four of their final six matches in the friendly confines of TQL Stadium, with the final two matches of the year being played at home. Nashville SC will be the visitors on Decision Day 2026, which will be on November 7 for a 4 p.m. game. FCC is also the only team in the league this year to play both its second to last and final match of the season at home this season.

Hell is Real

With the memory of vanquishing the Columbus Crew from the 2025 Audi MLS Cup Playoffs still fresh on the mind, the Hell is Real derby will return to regular season action in 2026 as expected with the first rematch from this playoff series coming in July when The Orange and Blue travel to Columbus, Ohio to take on the Crew on July 25th with a 7 p.m. kickoff set.

One of the later first playings in recent memory, the Saturday night matchup is set to be nationally broadcast on FS1, but will come at the end of a busy week when FCC hosts a midweek game at TQL Stadium ahead of this trip.

The return visit to Cincy won’t then be till nearly the end of the season when the Crew come to TQL Stadium on Sunday, October 18. The lone Sunday Night Soccer match of the regular season for FCC.

Pause for the 2026 FIFA World Cup

A key element for the upcoming season is that while the new MLS Summer-Spring calendar won’t kick in until 2027, the 2026 regular season will feature a significant summer break so as to allow for the 2026 FIFA World Cup play.

FC Cincinnati will play matches from February 21 until May 23 when they host Orlando City at home, but will then take a 61 day pause between games before returning to face Vancouver Whitecaps FC at home on July 22.

The two month break will stretch both edges of the calendar with Opening Day and the FC Cincinnati home opener coming on February 21 against Atlanta United and Decision Day 2025 happening at home on November 7 against Nashville SC.

The break nearly splits the season in half, but leaves more games on the later side of the break. FCC will play 15 matches prior to the break, and 19 after the break. Only 7 of the 17 home matches will occur before the break, meaning the stretch run of the season will have FCC at home more often than not.

Inter Miami and other Eastern Conference Familiars

While Columbus is the key rival matchup of the season, the Eastern Conference continues to be loaded with competitive teams and will again be a gauntlet to compete in. One key match on the calendar every year to keep track of is when Inter Miami CF come to town and that will again come fairly early in the new season.

Inter Miami CF comes to TQL Stadium on Wednesday, May 13, with kickoff set for 7:30 p.m. The matchup comes a week before the summer World Cup break and will be their third to last game played before the nearly two month long summer stoppage. The return trip to Miami will be equally distant from the end of the year as the October 28 trip to Miami will be the final road match of the year.

Other key Eastern Conference dates include two early matchups with Canadian clubs, facing off with Toronto and Montréal on March 7 and 22 respectively. The annual away trip to NYCFC this season will be played at Yankee Stadium rather than Citi Field on April 22, and the home visit from 2025 Supporters Shield Champions Philadelphia Union comes in the penultimate game of the season, Halloween, for a Saturday 2:30 kickoff.

Western Conference Foes

For the first time FC Cincinnati will travel South West to San Diego, California to take on the newest MLS club. On Saturday, May 16, The Orange and Blue head to Snap Dragon Stadium to play San Diego FC for the first time. That match owns the only kickoff of the season after 8:30 p.m. Cincinnati time, with a 10:30 p.m. start time.

That road visit is the only trip to the Pacific Time Zone this season though as FC Cincinnati’s other two Western Conference road foes are both far more central in the country.

On Saturday, February 28, FCC will visit Minnesota United FC for their first road game of the season. This is the second visit to the Land of 10,000 lakes in three seasons as FC Cincinnati last visited the Loons in 2024. The other trip sends The Orange and Blue to Houston to take on the Dynamo on Saturday, September 19. That match is the first of the longest “road swing” of the season with matches on the road at Montréal and Atlanta the following three weeks.

Visiting TQL Stadium from the West this season is another collection of interesting opponents. The Vancouver Whitecaps come to TQL Stadium right after the World Cup break, and shortly thereafter the San Jose Earthquakes visit the Queen City for a Saturday, August 1 match. Two weeks after that the Seattle Sounders come to Cincinnati as well.

All three Western Conference home matches take place in a single month stretch from July 22 to August 22.