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Why MLS Is Restarting Even Though the 2026 World Cup Is Not Over

Six matches will take place during the gap between the 2026 World Cup semifinals and the final.
Barnaby Lane|
Antoine Griezmann already scored in a summer friendly with Orlando City.
Antoine Griezmann already scored in a summer friendly with Orlando City. | Alex Menendez/Getty Images

The 2026 World Cup will reach its climax on Sunday, July 19, with the final taking place at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. After the tournament ends, fans will still have to wait several weeks before most of Europe’s major leagues return for the new season.

Major League Soccer, however, is back in action before the World Cup has even concluded. The league is resuming now the semifinals are done, ending a nearly two-month pause taken specifically for the tournament.

The decision has raised plenty of eyebrows, especially with some MLS players potentially still competing at the World Cup when league matches restart.

So why is MLS returning while the biggest soccer tournament on the planet is still being played?

When Does MLS Resume?

Major League Soccer returns on July 16 and 17, 2026—but fans shouldn’t expect a full Matchday 16 schedule right away.

Instead, the league will restart with a special slate of six rivalry games during the gap between the World Cup semifinals and the final. The fixtures include CF Montréal vs. Toronto FC, Chicago Fire vs. Vancouver Whitecaps, St. Louis CITY SC vs. Sporting Kansas City, and Seattle Sounders vs. Portland Timbers on July 16, followed by Nashville SC vs. Atlanta United and LA Galaxy vs. LAFC on July 17.

The return promises plenty of star power, with former Barcelona great Robert Lewandowski expected to make his Chicago Fire debut, while several World Cup players could also feature after returning from international duty.

The league will then resume its normal schedule with Matchday 17 on Thursday, July 23, when all 30 teams are set to be in action, including reigning MLS Cup champions Inter Miami.

Why Does MLS Resume During the World Cup?

Messi Miami
Messi won't be make immediately. | IMAGO / Icon Sportswire

With only a few days separating the MLS restart from the World Cup final, many fans may wonder why the league did not simply wait until after the tournament ended.

The answer is opportunity. MLS wants to take advantage of the enormous attention soccer will receive across North America during the 2026 World Cup.

By returning with high-profile rivalry matches, passionate fan bases and games played at some of the same venues used during the tournament, the league hopes to capture the interest of new fans eager for more soccer after the World Cup concludes.

READ THE LATEST WORLD CUP NEWS, PREVIEWS & ANALYSIS HERE

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Barnaby Lane
BARNABY LANE

Barnaby Lane, better known as Barney, is a soccer writer for SI FC. With nearly a decade of experience in the industry, he has worked for a range of household-name publications in both the United States and the United Kingdom, and has interviewed some of the world’s biggest athletes—from Usain Bolt and Rafael Nadal to Christian Pulisic (though his favorite interview remains Adebayo Akinfenwa). Barney specializes in Premier League soccer, covering everything from the nostalgia of years gone by to the modern, vastly different landscape of today’s game. He also has experience reporting on La Liga and Major League Soccer, the latter of which he developed a particular affinity for during his university days at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond.

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