“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,” the MLS commissioner said.
The NBA won’t be the only game taking over the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World Resort in July. Major League Soccer has announced its return with a 26-team tournament in Orlando, after teams played just two games before pausing for the coronavirus pandemic in March.
The MLS Is Back Tournament will get underway July 8, MLS tweeted Wednesday. It will include a group stage followed by knockout rounds, and the winner of the tourney will earn a spot in the 2021 Concacaf Champions League. The results of the group stage will count toward the regular season, which the league hopes to resume with teams playing in their home cities following the tournament.
