On Thursday, Major League Soccer announced updated dates for the transfer window, as well as a few key changes to the roster rules.
Transfer window dates
The primary transfer window will be open from Monday, January 26, and run through Monday, March 2. The secondary window will open on Monday, July 13, and close on Wednesday, September 2. This extended secondary transfer window is the latest the window has run since the 2020 Covid season, and will align with the rest of the world, as well as giving an early look at transfer windows once the league officially switches to the fall-to-spring calendar next year.
Ben Wright
FIFA has also approved the league's three Canadian clubs – CF Montréal, Toronto FC, and Vancouver Whitecaps – to align with these transfer dates, instead of the Canadian federation's dates. This had previously been a sticking point with adjusting transfer window dates.
Transfers can be agreed to and announced before these dates, and most teams in MLS (including Nashville SC) have already made moves. These dates are the only times when players can be officially registered with their new clubs, meaning they cannot play official matches until the windows are open and their registrations are complete.
Roster compliance is set for Friday, February 20, at 7 pm CT, the day before the 2026 season kicks off on the pitch. Rosters will freeze for the season on Friday, October 9.
Roster rule changes
MLS also made a few notable changes to the roster rules.
Clubs are no longer limited on how many Cash for Player Trades ("cashfers") they can make in a season. Last year, the first year this mechanism existed, teams were only able to acquire two and trade away two players per season. Removing the limitations on this mechanism opens up a whole new avenue for player acquisitions, giving the league a much more robust internal transfer market.
The league also eliminated age restrictions from intra-league loans. Previously, field players had to be 24 or younger, and goalkeepers had to be 28 or younger. Removing the age limit opens the potential for more established players to be loaned within MLS.
In another key change, the league removed the deadline for a player to be considered a domestic player instead of an international player. In years past, players had to acquire green cards before roster compliance or the opening of the secondary transfer window to receive domestic status. Now, there is no limit, meaning that if an international player receives a green card outside of the window, they receive domestic status and open an international roster slot at that point. This gives teams even more flexibility.
The league also made the following additional changes:
- Clubs may agree that an International Roster Slot traded within or prior to the Primary Transfer Window will return to the original club on a specific date within the Secondary Transfer Window. These agreements must be definitive.
- Designated Players acquired via Cash for Player Trades in the Secondary Transfer Window may be added at the mid-season Designated Player Salary Budget Charge.
- Players who have appeared on a gameday roster are eligible to be placed in Supplemental Slot 31 as long as they meet the other Slot 31 requirements.
