Halloween is a night when many people make plans, and Major League Soccer adjusted its schedule to reflect that reality. Almost without fail, Saturday matches in MLS begin at 7:30 p.m. local time, but the league revisited that rhythm for the 2026 regular-season calendar.
MLS confirmed to ESPN that, while creating the 2026 schedule, it asked clubs whether they would prefer earlier kickoffs on Oct. 31 or to play on Sunday so players and supporters could keep evening plans. As a result, only one match remains at the league’s standard start time: the Colorado Rapids hosting the Chicago Fire in Denver’s prime-time trick-or-treat window, according to ESPN.
The Rapids are also staging a Fan Appreciation Night at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park and will send attendees home with five-pound bags of potatoes, ESPN reported. The other eight Saturday fixtures have been moved to 1:00 p.m. or 2:00 p.m. local starts, and six additional matches are scheduled for Sunday, per ESPN.
New York City FC is among seven clubs set to host a 2:00 p.m. kickoff, which gives midfielder Keaton Parks extra time to prepare for Halloween. Parks, a 29-year-old Texas native, was affectionately known as “Big Bird” after last year’s costume, according to ESPN.
Nashville SC opted to clear its Saturday and will welcome Red Bull New York for a Sunday matinee, a change that frees up the afternoon for United States goalkeeper Brian Schwake. Schwake plans an early evening of trick-or-treating with his young son, ESPN reported.
