The Loons are bringing Major League Soccer back to Allianz Field for the first time in forever (May 23 was the last glorious home game, but who’s counting?), and it got me thinking about just how substantial that break was. The regular MLS offseason is about three months, depending on how far your club makes it in the postseason. The break we just waited through? That was two full months. 

For more on this weekend’s matchup with Vancouver, read Rachel’s wonderful preview. Then come back here, of course, and take a quick trip down memory lane with me as we look back at how our league has historically approached the World Cup, how things have changed, and where they’re headed in the years to come. 

Aaannnnd Break

Since Major League Soccer began playing in 1996, there have been eight World Cups. Now, the league hasn’t always given this global showcase the same treatment. The first three World Cups in the MLS-era got little-to-no special treatment, as the league didn’t take any break whatsoever. The closest they got was a “lighter schedule” during the 1998 tournament, but the constant message across those editions of the competition was relatively clear: Either the league was hoping to use the World Cup to drive their own viewership, or they didn’t know it was happening. I’d wager it was the former.

In 2010, league leadership made a statement, taking a two-week break during the group stage of the World Cup in South Africa. It was the first time in league history that play was suspended for the sport’s largest international showcase, with the intent of deepening the league’s connection and alignment with soccer fans across the country and around the world, according to commissioner Don Garber. 

Since then, there has always been a break of some sort, though the USMNT’s participation seems to be a driving factor behind the duration of these breaks. In 2014, they rolled out the same strategy that was used in 2010, and the USA bowed out in the Round of 16. Then, when the Stars and Stripes failed to qualify for the 2018 tournament in Russia, the league shortened its break in action to just nine days. The 2022 edition in Qatar didn’t require a break, as it was played during November and December. 

That brings us to the most recent example, which is coincidentally the closest to home — and by that, I mean it is home. The 2026 World Cup came to North American shores, and the league immediately rearranged its priorities, pausing all games for almost the entire tournament. The last game played before the World Cup was on May 24, with the Group Stage kicking off on June 11, giving participating players plenty of time to get up to speed with their respective national teams. The first game back was subsequently played on July 16, with only the third-place game and the final yet to be played at the World Cup. 

There are probably a combination of reasons why this break strategy has evolved over the years, but I have two hunches that I feel pretty good about. First, as the years have gone by, more and more MLS players have been called up to participate in the World Cup. The 1998 tournament in France had 20 MLS representatives, with that number steadily climbing every four years to reach this summer’s record of 45 players, with 105 players who have spent time in our league at some point in their careers making an appearance. MLS players played the sixth-most minutes of any league in the world, behind only Europe’s traditional top-five leagues, scoring 13 goals and seeing two players reach the final. As the league has become increasingly relevant to the global game, the global game has become increasingly relevant to the league. 

I already alluded to my second hunch — the participation of our domestic national teams. Much like  Major League Soccer’s growth has translated to increased attention on global soccer, the constant growth in skill and hope surrounding the USMNT has driven fan interest in the sport and given homegrown talents a chance to shine on the world’s stage. With Canada emerging as a Concacaf powerhouse in recent years, the emphasis on international soccer has only grown. It became increasingly smart from a business and development perspective for the league to break during the World Cup — so you better believe they did it.  

This all points to the future quite nicely, as the league prepares to change the calendar to more naturally accommodate FIFA windows and tournaments in the years to come. There will be breaks for subsequent World Cups because our league has gotten on board with the global trend. This will be both the first and last multi-month break in the middle of an MLS season, and I for one am excited about that.