The season never really ends

What's next after the World Cup

The Final is July 19 — but the soccer keeps coming. Chattanooga FC is playing at Finley right now, Liga MX, MLS and Leagues Cup restart almost immediately, and Europe's biggest leagues are back by late summer. Here's the lineup — then tell us what you want to watch in Chattanooga.

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Right here at home

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Chattanooga FC

MLS NEXT Pro · Finley Stadium

Playing now → Decision Day, Sept 20

Our own fan-owned club plays its MLS NEXT Pro home matches at Finley Stadium downtown. On July 4 they beat Inter Miami CF II 1-0 in front of a club-record crowd of 6,107 (that one was a special Fourth-of-July match at the new Erlanger Park).

No screen required — the real thing is a short drive away. The regular season runs to Decision Day on Sept 20, then the MLS NEXT Pro Playoffs. Nothing brings Chattanooga's soccer community together like a night at Finley with the Chattahooligans.

Home matches at Finley Stadium — grab tickets

Sat, Jul 18vs Orlando City B
Sat, Jul 25vs Philadelphia Union II
Sat, Aug 8vs Atlanta United 2
Sat, Aug 29vs Carolina Core FC
Sun, Sep 13vs Atlanta United 2

Get tickets →Full schedule ↗

Starting right away

The summer slate kicks off the same week the World Cup ends.

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Liga MX — Apertura 2026

Thursday, July 16, 2026

Who plays: Mexico's 18 top-flight clubs — Club América, Chivas, Tigres, Monterrey, Cruz Azul, Pumas & more (opener: Necaxa vs Atlante).

Why it matters: One of the two most-watched soccer leagues on US TV (it and the Premier League regularly trade the top spot) and the heartbeat of Chattanooga's bilingual fanbase — the very first soccer back after the Final.

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MLS — season resumes

July 16–17, 2026

Who plays: The 30 US & Canada clubs — restart rivalries include El Tráfico (LA Galaxy vs LAFC), Seattle vs Portland, and closest to home, Nashville SC vs Atlanta United. Runs to Decision Day Nov 7, then the MLS Cup playoffs.

Why it matters: The regional MLS sides (Nashville SC, Atlanta United) are natural local watch-party draws for Chattanooga.

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Leagues Cup 2026 (MLS × Liga MX)

Aug 4 – Sept 6, 2026

Who plays: All 18 Liga MX + 18 qualified MLS clubs (36 total) in direct USA-vs-Mexico showdowns. First edition with a handful of group-stage matches played in Mexico — Toluca, Tigres & Club América host.

Why it matters: MLS-vs-Liga MX is perfect bilingual watch-party bait, and it fills August before the European leagues return.

Then the fall — the top 5 global majors

Europe's big leagues and the Champions League return by late August.

1
🏆 UEFA Champions League 26/27Sept 8–10 (league phase; qualifiers from Jul 7)
The pinnacle of club soccer — the marquee midweek-night bar draw.
2
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Premier League 26/27Aug 22 (opener Aug 21)
One of the most-watched leagues in the US.
3
🇪🇸 La Liga 26/27Aug 16
Earliest big-Euro league back; El Clásico + a huge Hispanic audience.
4
🇮🇹 Serie A & 🇩🇪 BundesligaSerie A Aug 23 · Bundesliga Aug 28
Europe's other giants.
5
🇫🇷 Ligue 1 26/27Aug 21
Rounds out the "big five" European leagues.

What do you want to watch?

Tell us which competitions and teams you'd show up for, and we'll line up the watch parties around it. Takes about 30 seconds.

Sources

Every date and claim on this page was verified against official sources on July 9, 2026.