With 72 days remaining until the start of the 2020 Major League Soccer season, the league unveiled its schedule on Thursday, beginning the countdown toward celebrating its 25th season in existence.
The 25th anniversary gets underway Saturday, Feb. 29, when Nashville SC contests its inaugural MLS match by hosting Atlanta United. On the same day, Thierry Henry makes his managerial debut in the league as he leads the Montreal Impact against Bruce Arena's New England Revolution.
Opening Weekend continues on Sunday, March 1, with an ESPN doubleheader. The reigning MLS Cup champion Seattle Sounders host the new-look Chicago Fire at 3 p.m. ET, followed by the debut of David Beckham's Inter Miami, who travel to face defending Supporters' Shield champion LAFC and MVP Carlos Vela at Banc of California Stadium.
In celebration of the league's 25th season, ESPN will showcase the San Jose Earthquakes vs. D.C. United on April 11 at 5 p.m. ET -- a replay of the league's inaugural match from 1996.
Another rematch takes place on July 18 when MLS Cup finalist Toronto FC hosts Seattle (ESPN+), as the sides who contested three of the past four league championships meet once again.
The All-Star Game marks a break in the league's competitive schedule, and the 2020 edition will be as highly anticipated as any in memory. The MLS All-Stars will host All-Stars from Mexico's Liga MX at Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles on July 29, broadcast live on ESPN.
The much-anticipated Rivalry Week kicks off on Aug. 20, spanning four days and featuring the usual meetings between the Portland Timbers and Seattle, and LAFC and the LA Galaxy. Highlighting the 2020 edition will be the fight for Florida, with Inter Miami taking on Orlando City.
The marquee events of the 2020 calendar conclude on Oct. 4 with Decision Day, when all 26 clubs will be in action on the final day of the regular season, kicking off simultaneously at 4:30 p.m. ET.
An all-time high of 31 network broadcasts will air across ABC, Fox and Univision in the United States in 2020, and in addition to nationally broadcast matches, every out-of-market match is available on ESPN+. ESPN networks will air 31 games nationally, with 10 of those shown on ABC.