MLS is about to kick off a landmark 30th anniversary season

The 2025 Major League Soccer (MLS) season is poised to be a landmark year for the league, celebrating its 30th anniversary with an expanded roster of teams and an action-packed schedule. 

With the addition of the latest expansion team, San Diego FC, the league now is at a strong 30 clubs, marking a new era of growth and competition for North America’s premier soccer league. San Diego FC’s debut is one of the most exciting storylines of the 2025 season. Representing a city with a rich soccer culture and a passionate fanbase, the team will compete in the Western Conference, adding a fresh element to an already competitive group.

“We’re thrilled to welcome San Diego FC to MLS,” said MLS Commissioner Don Garber. “This expansion highlights the continued momentum of our league and the increasing appetite for soccer in the United States and Canada.”

The league’s 30 clubs will be divided evenly between the Eastern and Western conferences, providing a clean competition format to ensure that teams battle properly for playoff spots within their conferences. The 2025 regular season will kick off on Feb. 22 and run until Oct. 18, offering fans nearly eight months of nonstop footy/soccer action. CF Montreal will play Atlanta at 7:30 p.m. that day.

Each team will play a total of 34 matches, with a schedule primarily focused on intra-conference matchups. Teams will face their conference opponents a few times, ensuring intense rivalries and familiar competition. Additionally, each team will play six inter-conference matches, giving fans the chance to see hard-to catch cross-country matchups — think LAFC, Vancouver or Seattle here in MTL.

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Key breaks in the schedule

While the MLS season is packed with matches, there will be a break in late June to accommodate two major international tournaments: the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup and the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup. This pause ensures that players representing their countries can compete on the international stage without missing crucial MLS matches.

There will be no such break for the 2025 Leagues Cup, which will take place in August.

This annual competition has teams from MLS and Liga MX, which is showcasing the growing rivalry and partnership between the two leagues. The decision to continue the regular season during the Leagues Cup shows the league can manage several things at once, and has the same feel as Champions League and League play in Europe.

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Things to watch for

1. MESSI
2. San Diego FC: How will the league’s newest team  do in its inaugural season?
3. Established rivalries: Classic rivalries like El Tráfico (LA Galaxy vs. LAFC) and the Cascadia Cup (Portland Timbers, Seattle Sounders, Vancouver Whitecaps) will continue to get fans going.
4.  More international stars: Look for Wilfried Zaha to play in Montreal in our home opener.
5. Youth development: The league’s commitment to developing homegrown talent remains strong. With the expansion of MLS NEXT and the growing prominence of academy graduates, young players will have a significant role in shaping the game and the league.

As the league enters its 30th season, its growth shows no signs of slowing down. With more teams, a mix of international stars and rising homegrown talent, the MLS continues to lock in its place as a top-level soccer league.

The 2025 MLS season is set to be a celebration of soccer, community and competition. From the season opener on Feb. 22 to the final whistle of the regular season on Oct. 18, fans will have endless moments to cheer for their teams and share a collective passion that makes soccer the world’s game.

If you’re a die-hard supporter, a casual viewer or a newcomer to the sport, the 2025 MLS season promises to be a proper spectacle. ■

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This article was originally published in the Feb. 2025 issue of Cult MTL.

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