There are still a few weeks left of the current season, but Tuesday afternoon Major League Soccer formally announced their full schedule for the 2027 Sprint Season. The 14 game regular season, followed by the MLS Cup Playoffs, is set to begin on Friday, February 19 when FC Cincinnati makes the trip to Inter Miami CF for the first game of the new season, and conclude on Saturday May 8 for Decision Day when The Orange and Blue will visit CF Montréal at Stade Sapputo.
The Sprint Season, a first of its kind MLS season that will help bridge the gap from the current calendar to the new global playing calendar starting in the Summer of 2027, will see each team play every other team in their conference once. Each team will play seven home games and seven away games, with all major trophies and tournament qualifications up for grabs as usual.
After FC Cincinnati open the season on the road, they will return to TQL Stadium for the first time in 2027 to host NYCFC in the home opener on Saturday February 27, with kickoff set for 3 p.m. In fact, as of time of release, all matches in the sprint season will be played on the hour rather than the half hour. The home opener is one of three afternoon home matches The Orange and Blue will play next spring.
Past the home opener, another key match in the friendly confines of the Queen City is one of the key rivalry matches in MLS. The Hell is Real derby will only be played once in the sprint season, and it will be played at TQL Stadium as the Columbus Crew come to town on Saturday, April 24 with kickoff set for 5 p.m. as the rivalry is renewed once again.
Another notable trait of the sprint season calendar is that only once in this new schedule will FCC play back to back home games, hosting Toronto FC before the Hell is Real derby, and only three of 14 games all season will be played in the midweek. That Toronto FC fixture, which is set for April 21, and a matchup with Chicago Fire on April 7 are the only two in Cincinnati that will be played, with an early season trip to Charlotte FC on March 3 being the third.
Speaking of which, if you’re looking to hit the road this Sprint Season and see an away day with FC Cincinnati, Charlotte may be your best bet as at approximately 450 miles that is the closest away opponent on the calendar for early 2027. All of FC Cincinnati’s more regional rivals like Chicago, Nashville and of course Columbus will be coming to TQL Stadium this spring, meaning road trips may be harder to make the trip for. After Charlotte, Atlanta (at closer to 500 miles) and Washington, D.C. (510 miles) would be your next best bet.
After the Sprint Season’s conclusion and the MLS Cup Playoffs in June, a new season will kick off in the summer and run into 2028, so a new schedule will be announced for that at a later date.
For all information on the Sprint Season, including ticket opportunities, theme nights and other events, keep an eye on the FC Cincinnati website and social media channels, or click here for all available current information.