Overview
- LAFC host Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami at the 70,000-capacity Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in a season opener expected to set an opening‑weekend attendance record.
- A wave of high-profile additions boosts the league’s star power, including James Rodríguez to Minnesota United on a short-term deal, Timo Werner to San Jose, and Germán Berterame to Inter Miami.
- Messi’s preseason hamstring strain remains a key storyline after Miami postponed a friendly, as attention turns to his early-season fitness in a World Cup year.
- MLS will pause from May 25 to July 16 for the World Cup across the U.S., Canada and Mexico, then resume with rivalry fixtures and an All-Star Game in Charlotte.
- Every match streams globally on Apple TV with no blackouts in 2026, and MLS has confirmed a switch to a summer‑to‑spring calendar starting in 2027 to align with Europe.