Major League Soccer is set to follow the lead of the NBA by resuming its season at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida.
The ‘MLS is Back Tournament’ will begin on July 8, and will see teams put into six groups, with round-robin matches counting towards the regular season, which was halted after just two matchdays in mid-March because of the coronavirus pandemic.
A knockout stage will follow, concluding with a final on August 11, from which the winners will qualify for next season’s CONCACAF Champions League.
The hope is that by that point, teams will be able to complete the remainder of a revised regular season in their home stadiums.
MLS commissioner Don Garber said: "The opportunity to have all 26 clubs in a controlled environment enables us to help protect the health of our players, coaches and staff as we return to play.”
Last week, the NBA’s board of governors ratified plans to finish the resume the regular season on July 31, using a 22-team format to determine playoff seedings at the Orlando resort, where ESPN’s Wide World of Sport campus has a range of state-of-the-art facilities.
