The MLS is Back Tournament kicks off tonight at Walt Disney World (8pm ET, ESPN) with a hometown clash between Orlando City, which played its home games there in 2014, and first-year franchise Inter Miami.
The tournament is broken into a group stage (July 8–23) and a knockout stage (July 25–Aug. 11).
Group Stage
- The top three teams from Group A, the top two from Groups B–F and the next three teams with the best record advance to the Round of 16. All group stage games (three per team) count towards regular season records.
- Knockout stage: Beginning with the Round of 16, the remainder of the tournament will be played for two things — a spot in the 2021 CONCACAF Champions League and a share of the $1.1 million prize pool. These games do not count towards the regular season.
- Remainder of season: After the tournament, MLS hopes to conclude its regular season in teams’ home markets. No schedule has been set yet.
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