Features

How Long Is the Soccer Season? Premier League, MLS and More

Jack Smith 2 min read22 October 20261d ago

Most European soccer seasons run August to May, and MLS runs February to December. Season dates and games per team for every major league.

About ten months, give or take. The big European leagues like the Premier League start in August and finish in May. MLS runs the other way round, from late February to early December. So depending on which soccer you follow, there's a game on almost every week of the year.

Here's how it breaks down.

When does each soccer season start and end?

League	Season runs	Games per team
Premier League (England)	August to May	38
La Liga (Spain)	August to May	38
Serie A (Italy)	August to May	38
Bundesliga (Germany)	August to May	34
Ligue 1 (France)	August to May	34
MLS (US and Canada)	Late February to early December	34 in the regular season
Champions League	September to the final in late May or June	At least 8

Why the different numbers? It's just how many teams are in the league. With 20 teams, you play everyone home and away, which makes 38 games. With 18 teams, it's 34.

How long is a Premier League season?

Roughly nine months. The 2026/27 season kicked off on August 22, and the last round of games is in May 2027. Teams play 38 league games, plus cup games, plus European games if they qualify. A top club can play well over 50 matches in a season.

Do European leagues take a break?

Sort of. There are international breaks a few times a year, when club games stop for a week or two so players can go and play for their countries. The Bundesliga also takes a winter break over Christmas. The Premier League keeps playing right through Christmas. Boxing Day is one of the busiest days of the season in England.

Why is MLS different?

Weather and competition for attention, mostly. A spring-to-fall season avoids the worst of the North American winter and keeps MLS clear of the NFL's busiest months, at least until the playoffs. The flip side? MLS plays through the summer, when the European leagues are off.

Common questions

How many games are in a soccer season?

In the Premier League, La Liga and Serie A it's 38 league games per team. In the Bundesliga, Ligue 1 and the MLS regular season it's 34.

When does the soccer season start in the US?

MLS starts in late February. The European leagues most Americans follow start in August.

What month does the Premier League end?

May. The FA Cup final usually comes right at the end of the season too.

Want to know when the next pause in the club season is? Here are the international break dates for 2026/27. And the live Premier League standings show where everyone is right now.