By: Justin Gincauskas
The MLS schedule was announced Wednesday, and the 29th season will have its earliest start ever. Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami will kick off the season on Feb. 21 when they take on Real Salt Lake, marking the start of Messi’s first entire season in the league.
The first packed day of matches comes on Feb. 24, with 11 featured that day. Feb. 25 will be Messi’s first away match of the season as the team heads to the West Coast to take on LA Galaxy.
MLS Schedule Key Dates
Rivalry Week will take place May 11-18. Four matchdays will occur in that span, filled with the fiercest rivalries. Some of the matchups include Orlando City SC vs. Inter Miami CF, Portland Timbers vs. Seattle Sounders FC, and Toronto FC vs CF Montréal.
El Tráfico will be played at the Rose Bowl for the second straight season, as LAFC will face LA Galaxy on July 4 at 10:30 p.m. ET.
On July 24, the league will have its annual MLS All-Star Game. Columbus will host the event at Lower.com Field. The opponent for the MLS All-Stars has yet to be revealed and will be announced at a later date.
The final day of the regular season, referred to as Decision Day in the MLS, is set for Oct. 19 with 14 games. Eastern Conference matches start at 6 p.m. ET that day, followed by Western Conference matches at 9 p.m. ET.
The MLS Cup 2024 is set for Dec. 7. Hosting rights for that game are determined by which finalist finished with the best regular season record.
There are 29 teams in the league, and each one will play 34 games (17 home, 17 away). Most of the matches will take place on Saturdays, with some taking place on select Wednesdays.
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