Overview
- The Primary Transfer Window will run from Jan. 26 to March 26, and the Secondary Window will span July 13 to Sept. 2 for the first time in about two decades outside 2020.
- FIFA approved a request allowing CF Montréal, Toronto FC, and Vancouver Whitecaps to follow U.S. registration periods, putting all MLS clubs on one calendar.
- Key 2026 dates include Roster Compliance on Feb. 20 and the Roster Freeze on Oct. 9, with the league season beginning Feb. 21.
- Immediate rule changes remove limits on cash-for-player trades and intraleague loans, drop age restrictions on loans, add flexibility for traded international slots, and adjust domestic designation and midseason DP registration rules.
- MLS points to the 2025 secondary window’s high-profile arrivals, including Son Heung-Min, Rodrigo De Paul, and Thomas Müller, as evidence the later summer market can boost signings.