The 2027 MLS sprint season will kick off with a standalone match between Inter Miami CF and FC Cincinnati on Feb. 19 at Nu Stadium in Miami, Florida.

The opening game will begin at 8 p.m. ET on Friday with the rest of the matchday one games played on Saturday, Feb. 20 and Sunday, Feb. 21.

The 2027 sprint season will serve as a one-time shortened competition featuring 14 intra-conference matches to adjust the calendar before MLS shifts to a summer-to-spring format.

The tournament will kick off in February and culminate with the MLS Cup playoffs in May.

Each club will play seven matches at home and seven away during the regular season, all against opponents from the same conference. The top eight teams from each conference will then qualify for the playoffs, where games are set to be played in a single-elimination bracket to determine an Eastern and Western conference champion.

The winners of each conference will face off in the 2027 MLS Cup.

The sprint season will have an MLS Cup champion in May, while results will also determine qualification for the 2028 Concacaf Champions Cup and the 2028 Leagues Cup. The rest of the 2027 sprint season calendar will be announced Oct. 29 at 2 p.m. ET.

The 2027-28 MLS season will begin in July, leading to a title game in May 2028.