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We have a date! Major League Soccer announced on Monday that the 2021 MLS regular season will begin on April 3, with clubs able to begin preseason training on Feb. 22.
Each club will play 34 matches this season, with the weekend of April 3 through April 4 being branded as MLS is Back Opening Weekend. The late summer will also feature the return of the MLS All-Star Game. The league also noted that they are anticipating that several players will miss league play as they compete in competitions such as FIFA World Cup qualifying, Concacaf Nations League Finals, the Concacaf Gold Cup, Copa America, the European Championship, and the Summer Olympics in Tokyo.
The regular season will end on MLS Decision Day — Nov. 7 — and the 2021 MLS Cup Playoffs will begin on Nov. 19. MLS Cup is set to be played on Dec. 11 as well.
For more information about the upcoming season — including the latest on negotiations between MLS and the MLSPA — you can read the press release here.