 | |
| Season | 2024 |
|---|---|
| Dates |
|
← 2023
All statistics correct as of November 9, 2023. | |
The 2024 Major League Soccer season will be the 29th season of Major League Soccer (MLS), the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada, and the 46th season overall of a national first-division league in the United States.
This will be the second season that Apple and MLS will be part of a ten-year partnership for the broadcast and streaming rights to all MLS and Leagues Cup games, as well as select MLS Next and MLS Next Pro games, on the MLS Season Pass service within the Apple TV app.[1] The league's 29 teams are divided into the Eastern and Western conferences. For the first time since the 2016 season, no new expansion teams will be joining MLS in 2024; San Diego FC is scheduled to join the league in 2025.[2]
Pre-season matches run from January 19 through February 17.[3] The regular season is scheduled to begin on February 21 and end on October 19. It will be paused from mid-July to mid-August for the 2024 Leagues Cup, which comprises all MLS and Liga MX teams. The 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs are scheduled to begin in October and conclude with MLS Cup 2024 on December 7.[4]
MLS announced in December 2023 that it would not send teams to the 2024 U.S. Open Cup and instead replace them with MLS Next Pro affiliates. It would have been the first MLS season to not include U.S. Open Cup participation since the league's inception.[5] The United States Soccer Federation later rejected this proposal and will require MLS clubs to participate.[6]
FC Cincinnati are the reigning Supporters' Shield holders; the Columbus Crew are the reigning MLS Cup champions.[7]
Teams
Stadiums and locations
- ^ Non-soccer specific stadium and artificially reduced capacity. Capacity may be increased to full capacity if demand requires.
- ^ Temporary stadium.
Personnel and sponsorships
Note: All teams use Adidas as universal kit manufacturer. As part of Apple's broadcast contract, all MLS kits will include Apple TV+ as a sleeve sponsor.[8]
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Coaching changes
| Team | Outgoing coach | Manner of departure | Date of vacancy | Position in table | Incoming coach | Date of appointment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portland Timbers |  Miles Joseph (interim) |
End of interim period | November 6, 2023 | Pre-season |  Phil Neville |
November 6, 2023[10] |
| Charlotte FC |  Christian Lattanzio |
Mutual consent | November 8, 2023[11] | Dean Smith |
December 12, 2023[12] | |
| CF Montréal |  Hernán Losada |
November 9, 2023[13] |  Laurent Courtois |
January 8, 2024[14] | ||
| New York Red Bulls | Troy Lesesne |
End of contract | November 14, 2023[15] |  Sandro Schwarz |
December 14, 2023[16] | |
| Colorado Rapids |  Chris Little (interim) |
End of interim period | November 17, 2023 | Chris Armas |
November 17, 2023[17] | |
| Chicago Fire FC | Frank Klopas (interim) |
December 5, 2023 | Frank Klopas |
December 5, 2023[18] | ||
| Minnesota United FC | Sean McAuley (interim) |
January 5, 2024 |  Cameron Knowles (interim) |
January 5, 2024[19] | ||
| D.C. United | Frédéric Brillant (interim) |
January 10, 2024 | Troy Lesesne |
January 10, 2024[20] | ||
| New England Revolution | Clint Peay (interim) |
December 19, 2023 | Caleb Porter |
December 19, 2023[21] |
Regular season
Format
The regular season will comprise 34 matches for each team, split evenly between home and away games. The opening match is scheduled for February 21, the earliest in league history; the regular season will end with Decision Day on October 19, which will comprise simultaneous intra-conference matches. Matches will be paused from July 26 to August 25 for the 2024 Leagues Cup, a knockout tournament that includes teams from MLS and Liga MX. The league will not pause matches for the 2024 Copa América, which will be played in the United States from June to July. Most matches will be played on Saturdays and Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. local time.[22][23]
The 29 teams are divided into two conferences: the Eastern and Western. The 15 teams in the East will play a round-robin format with intra-conference teams and six matches against six opponents from the West. The 14 teams in the West will play a round-robin with intra-conference teams, an additional one or two intra-conference matches, and six to seven matches against opponents from the East.[22][24] The top teams in each conference will advance to the 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs, which culminates with the final on December 7.[23]
Conference standings
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Atlanta United FC | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Qualification for Round One and the CONCACAF Champions Cup Round One |
| 2 | Chicago Fire FC | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Qualification for Round One |
| 3 | FC Cincinnati | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 4 | Charlotte FC | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 5 | Columbus Crew | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 6 | D.C. United | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 7 | Inter Miami CF | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 8 | CF Montréal | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Qualification for the Wild card round |
| 9 | Nashville SC | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 10 | New England Revolution | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 11 | New York City FC | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 12 | New York Red Bulls | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 13 | Orlando City SC | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 14 | Philadelphia Union | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 15 | Toronto FC | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) total wins; 3) total goal differential; 4) total goals scored; 5) fewer disciplinary points; 6) away goal differential; 7) away goals scored; 8) home goals differential; 9) home goals scored; 10) coin toss (2 clubs tied) or drawing of lots (≥3 clubs tied)
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Austin FC | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Qualification for Round One and the CONCACAF Champions Cup Round One |
| 2 | Colorado Rapids | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Qualification for Round One |
| 3 | FC Dallas | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 4 | Houston Dynamo FC | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 5 | LA Galaxy | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 6 | Los Angeles FC | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 7 | Minnesota United FC | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 8 | Portland Timbers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Qualification for the Wild card round |
| 9 | Real Salt Lake | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 10 | San Jose Earthquakes | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 11 | Seattle Sounders FC | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 12 | St. Louis City SC | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 13 | Sporting Kansas City | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 14 | Vancouver Whitecaps FC | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) total wins; 3) total goal differential; 4) total goals scored; 5) fewer disciplinary points; 6) away goal differential; 7) away goals scored; 8) home goals differential; 9) home goals scored; 10) coin toss (2 clubs tied) or drawing of lots (≥3 clubs tied)
Overall table
The leading team in this table will win the Supporters' Shield.
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Atlanta United FC | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | Austin FC | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | Chicago Fire FC | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | FC Cincinnati | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 5 | Charlotte FC | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 6 | Columbus Crew | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 7 | Colorado Rapids | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 8 | FC Dallas | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 9 | D.C. United | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 10 | Houston Dynamo FC | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 11 | LA Galaxy | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 12 | Los Angeles FC | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 13 | Inter Miami CF | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 14 | Minnesota United FC | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 15 | CF Montréal | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 16 | Nashville SC | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 17 | New England Revolution | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 18 | New York City FC | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 19 | New York Red Bulls | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 20 | Orlando City SC | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 21 | Philadelphia Union | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 22 | Portland Timbers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 23 | Real Salt Lake | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 24 | San Jose Earthquakes | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 25 | Seattle Sounders FC | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 26 | St. Louis City SC | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 27 | Sporting Kansas City | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 28 | Toronto FC | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 29 | Vancouver Whitecaps FC | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) total wins; 3) total goal differential; 4) total goals scored; 5) fewer disciplinary points; 6) away goal differential; 7) away goals scored; 8) home goals differential; 9) home goals scored; 10) coin toss (2 clubs tied) or drawing of lots (≥3 clubs tied)
References
- ↑ Noor Haq, Sana (June 15, 2022). "MLS and Apple announce 10-year streaming deal". CNN. Retrieved October 30, 2022.
- ↑ Hernandez, Cesar (May 18, 2023). "San Diego awarded 30th MLS team, will debut in 2025". Retrieved November 9, 2023.
- ↑ "2024 MLS Preseason Schedule and Results". January 2, 2024. Retrieved January 4, 2024.
- ↑ "MLS unveils 2024 Regular Season schedule". MLSsoccer.com. December 20, 2023. Retrieved December 20, 2023.
- ↑ Floyd, Thomas (December 15, 2023). "MLS to skip U.S. Open Cup, nation's oldest soccer tournament". The Washington Post. Retrieved December 16, 2023.
- ↑ Bonagura, Kyle (December 20, 2023). "MLS teams must play in Open Cup - U.S. Soccer". ESPN.com. Retrieved December 20, 2023.
- ↑ Mac Kay, Brianna (December 9, 2023). "Columbus Crew top LAFC to win franchise's third MLS Cup". The Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved December 9, 2023.
- ↑ McCaskill, Steve (November 17, 2022). "MLS clubs to promote Apple TV season pass with sleeve sponsorship". SportsPro. Retrieved November 22, 2022.
- ↑ chicagofirefc. "Chicago Fire FC Kicks Off Multi-Year Partnership with Carvana as Official Online Auto Retailer and Front of Kit Sponsor | Chicago Fire FC". chicagofirefc. Retrieved December 13, 2023.
- ↑ "Portland Timbers name Phil Neville as head coach". Portland Timbers. November 6, 2023. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
- ↑ "Charlotte FC Parts Ways with Christian Lattanzio". Charlotte FC. November 8, 2023. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
- ↑ "Charlotte FC Names Dean Smith as Club's Head Coach". Charlotte FC. December 12, 2023. Retrieved December 12, 2023.
- ↑ "CF Montréal parts ways with Hernán Losada". CF Montreal. November 9, 2023. Retrieved November 9, 2023.
- ↑ "Laurent Courtois named CF Montréal head coach". CF Montreal. January 8, 2024. Retrieved January 8, 2024.
- ↑ "Troy Lesesne not returning as New York Red Bulls coach". Major League Soccer. November 14, 2023. Retrieved November 14, 2023.
- ↑ "New York Red Bulls Name Sandro Schwarz as Head Coach". New York Red Bulls. December 14, 2023. Retrieved December 14, 2023.
- ↑ "Colorado Rapids appoint Chris Armas as Head Coach". Major League Soccer. November 17, 2023. Retrieved November 17, 2023.
- ↑ Sigal, Jonathan (December 5, 2023). "Frank Klopas named Chicago Fire head coach". Major League Soccer. Retrieved December 5, 2023.
- ↑ "Minnesota United Announces Coaching Staff Updates". Minnesota United Football Club. January 5, 2024. Retrieved January 8, 2024.
- ↑ "D.C. United Name Troy Lesesne as Head Coach". D.C. United. January 10, 2024. Retrieved January 10, 2024.
- ↑ "New England Revolution hire Caleb Porter as head coach". New England Revolution. December 19, 2023. Retrieved December 19, 2023.
- 1 2 Anderson, Jason (December 20, 2023). "MLS releases 2024 schedule, Inter Miami set for earliest opener in league history". Pro Soccer Wire. USA Today. Retrieved December 23, 2023.
- 1 2 Silverman, Alex (December 20, 2023). "MLS announces 2024 schedule, Leagues Cup return". Sports Business Journal. Retrieved December 23, 2023.
- ↑ "MLS unveils 2024 Regular Season schedule" (Press release). Major League Soccer. December 20, 2023. Retrieved December 23, 2023.