Major League Soccer announced today the full 2026 regular season schedule for FC Cincinnati. The Orange and Blue’s 34-game league slate begins with the earliest calendar MLS opener in club history – on Saturday, February 21 against Atlanta United FC at TQL Stadium. Kickoff for the opener is set for 4:30 p.m. ET and will broadcast on FOX and Apple TV.
The home opener for FC Cincinnati will mark the club’s fourth consecutive year beginning the MLS season at home. The Orange and Blue will play 17 regular season games in the Queen City and 17 on the road. FC Cincinnati will face each of the other 14 Eastern Conference teams, once at home and once away, and six total Western Conference opponents: three at home and three on the road.
Cincinnati’s first Western Conference trip comes in Matchday 2, a road trip to Allianz Field and Minnesota United FC on February 28. The Orange and Blue return home for Sunday Night Soccer in Matchday 3 to host Toronto FC on March 8. FCC are initially featured on two Sunday Night Soccer leaguewide showcase matches to begin the season (October 18 vs Columbus Crew).
Next year will mark a historic year for soccer in the United States as the 2026 FIFA World Cup comes to North America for the first time since 1994. With a record number of MLS players expected on World Cup rosters, MLS will pause league play after FC Cincinnati’s May 23 match vs Orlando City SC, ahead of the FIFA mandatory player report date on May 25, before resuming at the end of the international tournament. FCC will return to action on July 22 at TQL Stadium against Vancouver Whitecaps FC.
FC Cincinnati will play 15 games prior to the World Cup break, and 19 afterwards, leading up to Decision Day 2026 on November 7 when the Orange and Blue host Nashville SC. It will be the latest regular season game since 2021, when FCC played Atlanta United FC on November 7 that year. Following the November FIFA International Window, the Audi 2026 MLS Cup Playoffs will be played, uninterrupted, leading up to 2026 MLS Cup. The complete postseason schedule will be announced at a later date.
The 2026 season will mark the final MLS season under the current schedule format. Last week, MLS announced a shift in its competition calendar, aligning the league’s schedule with the world’s top soccer leagues. Following the 2026 campaign, a 14-game 2027 transition season will take place from February to May 2027 before the new season format takes effect in 2027-28, running from July 2027 to May 2028.
Beginning in 2026, all MLS matches will be available to stream for Apple TV subscribers at no additional cost. The standalone MLS Season Pass subscription on the Apple TV app will conclude after the 2025 season. Starting next year, fans can watch every regular season match, the annual Leagues Cup tournament, the MLS All-Star Game, Campeones Cup, the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs, and more – all included with an Apple TV subscription. In addition, an Apple TV subscription will be included as part of 2026 full-season ticket packages with MLS clubs.
Next year, FC Cincinnati will also take part in two continental cup competitions: the 2026 Concacaf Champions Cup and Leagues Cup 2026. The Champions Cup draw will be held on December 9, and more information regarding Leagues Cup will be available in early 2026.
FC Cincinnati’s full 2026 MLS Regular Season schedule, and notes on the schedule, can be found below.
Saturday, Feb. 21 | vs Atlanta United FC^^ | TQL Stadium; Cincinnati, Ohio | 4:30 p.m. |
Saturday, Feb. 28 | at Minnesota United FC | Allianz Field; Saint Paul, Minn. | 4:30 p.m. |
Sunday, March 8 | vs Toronto FC^ | TQL Stadium; Cincinnati, Ohio | 7 p.m. |
Sunday, March 15 | at New England Revolution | Gillette Stadium; Foxborough, Mass. | 2:30 p.m. |
Sunday, March 22 | vs CF Montréal | TQL Stadium; Cincinnati, Ohio | 1 p.m. |
Saturday, April 4 | at Red Bull New York | Sports Illustrated Stadium; Harrison, N.J. | 7:30 p.m. |
Saturday, April 11 | at Toronto FC | BMO Field; Toronto, Ontario, Canada | TBD |
Saturday, April 18 | vs Chicago Fire FC | TQL Stadium; Cincinnati, Ohio | 7:30 p.m. |
Wednesday, April 22 | at New York City FC | Yankee Stadium; New York City, N.Y. | 7:30 p.m. |
Saturday, April 25 | vs Red Bull New York | TQL Stadium; Cincinnati, Ohio | 7:30 p.m. |
Saturday, May 2 | at Chicago Fire FC | Soldier Field; Chicago, Ill. | 8:30 p.m. |
Saturday, May 9 | at Charlotte FC | Bank of America Stadium; Charlotte, N.C. | 7:30 p.m. |
Wednesday, May 13 | vs Inter Miami CF | TQL Stadium; Cincinnati, Ohio | 7:30 p.m. |
Saturday, May 16 | at San Diego FC | Snapdragon Stadium; San Diego, Calif. | 9:30 p.m. |
Saturday, May 23 | vs Orlando City SC | TQL Stadium; Cincinnati, Ohio | 7:30 p.m. |
Wednesday, July 22 | vs Vancouver Whitecaps FC | TQL Stadium; Cincinnati, Ohio | 7:30 p.m. |
Saturday, July 25 | at Columbus Crew^^^ | Lower.com Field; Columbus, Ohio | 7 p.m. |
Saturday, August 1 | vs San Jose Earthquakes | TQL Stadium; Cincinnati, Ohio | 7:30 p.m. |
Saturday, August 15 | at Orlando City SC | INTER&Co Stadium; Orlando, Fla. | 7:30 p.m. |
Wednesday, August 19 | vs New York City FC | TQL Stadium; Cincinnati, Ohio | 7:30 p.m. |
Saturday, August 22 | vs Seattle Sounders FC | TQL Stadium; Cincinnati, Ohio | 7:30 p.m. |
Saturday, August 29 | at Nashville SC | GEODIS Park; Nashville, Tenn. | 8:30 p.m. |
Saturday, Sept. 5 | vs D.C. United | TQL Stadium; Cincinnati, Ohio | 7:30 p.m. |
Wednesday, Sept. 9 | at Philadelphia Union^^^ | Subaru Park; Chester, Pa. | 7:30 p.m. |
Saturday, Sept. 12 | vs Charlotte FC | TQL Stadium; Cincinnati, Ohio | 7:30 p.m. |
Saturday, Sept. 19 | at Houston Dynamo FC | Shell Energy Stadium; Houston, Texas | 8:30 p.m. |
Saturday, Sept. 26 | at CF Montréal | Stade Saputo; Montréal, Quebec, Canada | 7:30 p.m. |
Saturday, Oct. 10 | at Atlanta United FC | Mercedes-Benz Stadium; Atlanta, Ga. | 7:30 p.m. |
Wednesday, Oct. 14 | vs New England Revolution | TQL Stadium; Cincinnati, Ohio | 7:30 p.m. |
Sunday, Oct. 18 | vs Columbus Crew^ | TQL Stadium; Cincinnati, Ohio | 7 p.m. |
Saturday, Oct. 24 | at D.C. United | Audi Field; Washington, D.C. | 7:30 p.m. |
Wednesday, Oct. 28 | at Inter Miami CF | Miami Freedom Park; Miami, Fla. | 7:30 p.m. |
Saturday, Oct. 31 | vs Philadelphia Union | TQL Stadium; Cincinnati, Ohio | Time TBD |
Saturday, Nov. 7 | vs Nashville SC | TQL Stadium; Cincinnati, Ohio | 4 p.m. |
-All Times and Dates Subject To Change
-All Matches Air, Without Blackouts, on Apple TV
^ - Sunday Night Soccer
^^ - Also Airing on FOX
^^^ - Also Airing on FS1
2026 FC Cincinnati Schedule Notes
- 2026 will mark the fourth consecutive season FC Cincinnati begin the MLS season at home. FCC’s first four MLS season openers were on the road.
- FC Cincinnati are initially featured twice on the Sunday Night Soccer slate, both at TQL Stadium: March 8 vs Toronto FC and October 18 vs Columbus Crew.
- The away leg of the Hell is real derby in 2026 will be in Columbus on July 25.
- FC Cincinnati are the only club to finish the season with two home games in a row. Decision Day on November 7 marks the latest final regular season game for FC Cincinnati since 2021 (Nov. 7, 2021 vs Atlanta United FC) and the second latest Decision Day the club has ever played (Nov. 8, 2020 at Inter Miami CF).
- FC Cincinnati’s six Western Conference opponents are as follows: Vancouver Whitecaps FC (July 22), San Jose Earthquakes (August 1) and Seattle Sounders FC (August 22) at home; Minnesota United FC (February 28), San Diego FC (May 16) and Houston Dynamo FC (September 19) on the road.
- The Whitecaps and Earthquakes will both visit TQL Stadium for the first time since 2022, the Sounders last came to Cincinnati in 2023.
- The matchup at Minnesota United will be Cincinnati’s fourth trip to Allianz Field and fifth overall matchup against the Loons, both of which are the most for FCC against any current Western Conference foe.
- Cincinnati will face 2025 expansion side San Diego FC for the first time in regular season play next season. Following the trip to San Diego, Sporting Kansas City will be the only club FC Cincinnati have never faced on the road.
- The trip to Houston Dynamo will be the first for FC Cincinnati since 2021.
- FC Cincinnati currently have three matches selected for linear television on FOX networks: the season opener on February 21 vs Atlanta United FC (FOX); July 25 at Columbus Crew (FS1); September 9 at Philadelphia Union (FS1).
- FC Cincinnati will not play during the March FIFA International Window the weekend of March 29/30.
- Starting in 2026, the September and October FIFA International Windows combine and will feature a two-week international match schedule at the end of September and early October. Cincinnati’s September 26 match at CF Montréal will be played during the first of those two weekends.
- The 2026 MLS All-Star Game will be played at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina on Wednesday, July 29. Additional details on the 2026 MLS All-Star Skills Challenge presented by AT&T and the opponent for the 2026 MLS All-Star Game will be announced at a later date.