Major League Soccer Tuesday announced the complete 2023 MLS regular season schedule, highlighted by the inaugural campaign of the league’s 29th club, St. Louis CITY SC.

The majority of games will be played on Saturdays and select Wednesdays, with 7:30 p.m. local start times.

The full MLS schedule can be found on www.MLSsoccer.com/schedule. Highlights of the MLS 2023 season schedule are included below.

MLS is Back opening weekend

MLS is Back on Saturday, Feb. 25, as teams will their season debuts.

The first match of the season will see Nashville SC, with Landon Donovan MLS MVP Hany Mukhtar, hosting New York City FC, with 20-year-old Brazilian Talles Magno at GEODIS Park at 4:30 p.m. ET, on the Apple TV app and on FOX and FOX Deportes.

The opening day action continues with an always intense El Tráfico match reaching new heights at the Rose Bowl, when the LA Galaxy open its season against reigning MLS Cup champions and crosstown rivals, Los Angeles FC at 9:30 p.m. ET, live on the Apple TV app.

St. Louis CITY SC debuts

MLS welcomes a new club, a new city, and a brand-new stadium in 2023, with the debut of expansion team St. Louis CITY SC. Kicking off itsinaugural campaign on the road against Austin FC at Q2 Stadium and live on MLS Season Pass, on Saturday, Feb. 25 at 8:30 p.m. ET, St. Louis will make its home debut as hosts to last year’s newcomers Charlotte FC at CITYPARK on Saturday, March 4 at 8:30 p.m. ET. With a capacity of 22,500 at CITYPARK and more than 60,000 season ticket deposits, games should be sellouts.

Rivalry Week returns

Rivalry Week will present four days of the league’s fiercest rivalry matchups from May 13-20. Kicking off Saturday, May 13 at 7:30 p.m. ET on MLS Season Pass will be a Southern showdown, featuring Atlanta United hosting Charlotte FC at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, while at the same time, the New York Red Bulls take on Hudson River rivals NYCFC at Red Bull Arena.

The California Clásico will pit the LA Galaxy against the San Jose Earthquakes at Dignity Health Sports Park on Sunday, May 14 at 9:30 p.m. ET on MLS Season Pass, FS1, and FOX Deportes before a thrilling slate of nine matches brings Rivalry Week to a close on Saturday, May 20.

MLS All-Star Game

The MLS All-Star Game is set for Wednesday, July 19 at Audi Field, home of D.C. United. The opponent will be announced at a later date.

Leagues Cup break

Beginning in 2023, all 47 MLS and LIGA MX clubs will compete in a completely reimagined Leagues Cup: an annual, month-long, Concacaf-sanctioned tournament. Leagues Cup 2023 will make history as the first major soccer tournament to feature every club from a pair of top-flight leagues. The MLS regular season will pause following the July 15 games for Leagues Cup play and resume on Aug. 20.

MLS Cup rematch

A rematch of 2022 MLS Cup and last year’s two best regular season teams will feature the Philadelphia Union against LAFC on Sept. 23, live on MLS Season Pass.

MLS Decision Day

In the final day of action on Oct. 21, all teams will face intraconference opponents with everything on the line in a battle for playoff spots and seeding. MLS Decision Day kickoff times will be announced at a later date.

More details on the MLS Cup Playoffs will be announced at a later date.

MLS Conference alignment

With the addition of St. Louis CITY SC to the Western Conference, Nashville SC will rejoin the Eastern Conference.

MLS schedule construction

The 15 Eastern Conference teams will play:
Two games vs. each intraconference opponent (28 games)
One game vs. six different cross-conference opponents (6 games)

The 14 Western Conference teams will play:
Two games vs. each intraconference opponent (26 games)
One game vs. 1 or 2 additional intraconference opponents (1-2 games)
One game vs. 6 or 7 different cross-conference opponents (6-7 games)

And there’s more

MLS will pause during the October and November FIFA international windows. MLS clubs were presented with the option to play during the June and September FIFA international window, with 13 clubs electing to do so

The five MLS teams that have qualified for the Scotiabank Concacaf Champions League will kick off the first leg of Round of 16 play on March 7-9. Participating teams include Austin FC, LAFC, Orlando City SC, Philadelphia Union and Vancouver Whitecaps FC.

Seattle Sounders FC will compete in the FIFA Club World Cup, which will be held Feb. 1-11 in Morocco. Match dates and times have yet to be confirmed.

Front Row Soccer editor Michael Lewis has covered 13 World Cups (eight men, five women), seven Olympics and 25 MLS Cups. He has written about New York City FC, New York Cosmos, the New York Red Bulls and both U.S. national teams for Newsday and has penned a soccer history column for the Guardian.com. Lewis, who has been honored by the Press Club of Long Island and National Soccer Coaches Association of America, is the former editor of BigAppleSoccer.com. He has written seven books about the beautiful game and has published ALIVE AND KICKING The incredible but true story of the Rochester Lancers. It is available at Amazon.com.