SANDY, Utah (Thursday, Dec. 19, 2024) – In conjunction with Major League Soccer, Real Salt Lake today unveiled its complete 2025 MLS schedule, with the Club’s 21st campaign stretching from Wednesday, February 19 – when it travels to face Costa Rican power CS Herediano in its 2025 CONCACAF Champions Cup Leg One – through Saturday, October 18, traveling to St. Louis CITY SC for “Decision Day” 2025.
RSL kicks off play in the League’s 30th season away at San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday, February 22, prior to an early-season stretch that could see the Claret-and-Cobalt potentially play four home games in 10 days across multiple competitions, starting with the 2025 MLS opener against Seattle Sounders FC on Saturday, March 1, with a 2:30p MT kickoff at America First Field.
Various RSL season ticket and other holiday packages for the 2025 RSL season are now available at www.RSL.com/tickets, with individual games going on sale roughly the month prior to the home-opening Wed., Feb. 26 CONCACAF Champions Cup tilt at America First Field, the 16th season to kick off in Sandy.
The 2025 season – which will see MLS Young Player of the Year and 21-year-old starlet Diego Luna joined by a core of veterans and several late 2024 additions – also features RSL’s pursuit of a Conference-best fifth consecutive postseason berth, a seventh in the last eight seasons and its 15th in the last 18 years. The upcoming schedule is highlighted by several key dates, including:
- The , March 1 MLS home opener welcoming long-time West rival Seattle to America First Field for a 2:30p MT kickoff, the earliest day game at home in the Club’s 21-year history;
- Real Salt Lake’s first-ever matches against expansion side San Diego FC, the Utah Club welcoming Major League Soccer’s 30th team on Sat., March 8 at home before traveling to Snapdragon Stadium in a Sat., April 26 trip to San Diego;
- A visit from reigning MLS Cup Champions LA Galaxy on Sat., April 5, in what could be a second Utah trip and a third overall early-year match between the MLS Cup 2009 rivals, as a potential CONCACAF Champions Cup series in the first two weeks of March awaits – IF only RSL can get past Herediano (Costa Rica) in Round One;
- Two Rocky Mountain Cup matches against Colorado, RSL looking to reclaim the fan-created, regional rivalry Cup title for a 14th occasion in the last 18 seasons with a Sat., May 17 visit to Commerce City, before welcoming the Rapids to the Wasatch Front on Sat., Oct. 4 in RSL’s penultimate MLS reg. season match;
- A return to RSL’s traditional Independence Day Fireworks on Sat., July 5, against visiting St. Louis CITY SC, followed later that month with Pioneer Day Fireworks festivities on Sat., July 26 against San Jose Earthquakes;
- A trio of visits from Eastern Conference opponents to America First Field, as Toronto (Sat., April 19), D.C. United (Sat., June 14) and FC Cincinnati (Sat., July 19) travel to Utah for the first time in several seasons for RSL’s out-of-Conference home matches;
- And multiple Leagues Cup matches to be potentially played at America First Field between Tues., July 29 and Sun., August 31, with the third-year competition against LIGA MX teams interspersed with League matches coming out of the July 23 MLS All-Star Game to be played in Austin, TX;
- As is typical in an odd-numbered year, RSL will travel away for Decision Day 2025, to be played on Sat., October 18 at St. Louis CITY SC, now in its third MLS season.
RSL’s 2025 slate, including nine potential CONCACAF Champions Cup and 34 MLS regular-season matches, could see the team play seven of its first 13 matches across both competitions at its America First Field at home – where RSL went 12-3-4 (W-L-T) in 2024 – prior to a three-game road trip from April 26 – May 10.
This upcoming season will see RSL make just three Eastern Conference road trips, including an early-season Nashville run (April 12) and back-to-back East Coast away weekends at New York Red Bulls and Charlotte FC (August 10/16).
Head Coach Pablo Mastroeni’s side will also travel to face San Diego FC (April 26), Vancouver (May 3) and Dallas (May 10) in the Club’s longest multi-game road stretch of the season, part of a 35-day run that sees RSL play six of eight on the road in that span, with an Austin FC (May 28) and LA Galaxy (May 31) road run concluding the congested stretch.
June and July then flip to see RSL play six of eight on Utah soil at America First Field, the calendar offering two rare bye weekends (June 7 and June 21) during the summer months that sees two quick trips to Kansas City (June 28) and Portland (July 16) comingled with Utah visits from D.C. United (June 14), LAFC (June 25), St. Louis, Houston (July 12), Cincinnati (July 19) and San Jose (July 26) ahead of the July 29 League Cup kickoff.
- With an extended run through Champions League, RSL could play as many as 19 games in the first 74 days of the season, as well as 33 total games prior to the late July MLS All-Star Game;
- On three (3) MLS-only occasions, RSL will play three games in an eight-day period: May 10-17 (@DAL / v POR / @ COL), May 24-31 (v VAN, @ATX, @ LAG) and July 12-19 (v HOU, @POR, v CIN); additional midweek matches affecting the Club due to CONCACAF Champions League in March and April could potentially occur, as well as the August Leagues Cup slate;
- In addition to the possible four-game / 10-day Sandy-based run to open the season with CONCACAF advancement from Feb. 26 – March 8, other schedule periods see RSL hosting multi-game homestands at America First Field on four occasions – June 14/25 (DCU / LAFC), July 5/12 (STL / HOU), July 19/26 (CIN / SJ), and Sept. 27-Oct. 4 (ATX / COL);
- The 2025 slate includes four bye weekends, including international breaks surrounding the following Saturdays: June 7, June 21, Sept. 6 and Oct. 11 (barring the necessity to reschedule to one of these dates);
- Outside of both CONCACAF Champions Cup and Leagues Cup, RSL hosts just two home Wednesday MLS matches at America First Field, the first of which is May 14 against Portland, the other June 25 v. LAFC;
- A total of 10 MLS reg. season matches after the MLS All-Star Game, to be played in Austin on Wed., July 23 just before Leagues Cup kicks off on July 29, the newly-formatted MLS v Liga MX showcase being played through August 31;
- Interspersed with Leagues Cup, RSL will host five (5) of those final 10 games at home, including the Rocky Mountain Cup decider at AFF on Oct. 4 against Colorado, which wrested the Cup away from RSL last season … other late-season run-in opponents for RSL at America First Field include San Jose, Austin, Kansas City and Minnesota, which eliminated RSL via penalty-kick tiebreakers in both 2024 Audi MLS Cup Playoff matches between the sides.
The record-setting 2024 RSL side amassed the Club’s eighth 50-point season all-time (out of 20 seasons), and just the third since the 2014 campaign. Finishing 6th overall out of 29 teams, RSL crashed out of the postseason by the thinnest of margins for a third consecutive year (Austin 2022, Houston 2023, Minnesota 2024), dropping a road shootout tiebreaker. Other 2024 RSL milestones:
- Accumulated an all-time Club-high overall point total of 59 points, RSL’s 16-7-11 (W-L-T) record eclipsing the previous record of 57 points, set in 2012; the 16 wins in 34 games matches the Club’s second-highest win total in its 20 MLS campaigns (2013, 2019), trailing only the 17 won in 2012;
- Achieved RSL’s second-highest road record with 13 results in 17 away MLS matches, posting a 5W-4L-8T mark, with 23 of its 59 reg. season points amassed on the road; RSL’s previous road best was recorded in 2023, with an outstanding 8W-5L-4T (28 pts) mark;
- RSL attained 59 points in 2024 by returning its America First Field home to “fortress” status, the Club’s home mark of 11W-3L-3T the fourth-best in MLS and the fifth-highest in RSL’s 20 previous MLS seasons;
- This most recent campaign was also the highest-scoring season in Real Salt Lake’s 20 MLS years, with 65 goals through 34 matches, eclipsing the 57 scored in 2013; RSL’s pair of goals scored on Decision Day enabled the 2024 side to match the all-time Club mark of 38 goals on home soil, matching the 2018 season’s production in Sandy;
- During a nearly four-month span from early-March to late June, RSL embarked on a Club-record 15-game unbeaten run in MLS competition, marred only by an Open Cup match in Albuquerque;
- RSL striker and Captain Chicho Arango scored 17 goals and added 13 assists during his first full season on the Wasatch Front, winning the Club Golden Boot and matching Alvaro Saborio’s all-time RSL high for goals in a season, set in 2012;
- Since April 16, 2005, RSL has enjoyed a prominent home-field advantage on Utah soil – posting a dominant 206-86-99 (Win-Loss-Draw) record across all competitions at home (1.83 points per game for a 0.654 win pct.) – since arriving on the Wasatch Front 20 years ago;
- Since opening its permanent home in Sandy just over 15 years ago, in October, 2008, RSL’s 176-61-79 (W-L-T) mark at America First Field – home of the “RioT” Supporters Group umbrella – equates to a 1.92 points per game average and a 0.682 win pct, one of the truly amazing value proposition in North American sporting landscape today.
With the addition of San Diego FC as the league’s 30th club, the MLS schedule format will include every MLS team competing in 34 regular season games, featuring 17 at home and 17 on the road. Clubs will play conference opponents twice (28 games), once at home and once away. Each club will play six different cross-conference opponents.
MLS Season Pass on Apple TV will continue to broadcast all MLS matches live throughout the season complimented by extensive studio coverage. The popular whip around studio show, MLS 360, provides live look-ins from every active match alongside expert analysis in English and Spanish. Pregame and postgame studio shows, MLS Countdown and MLS Wrap Up in English and MLS La Previa and MLS El Resumen in Spanish, return with full preview and postgame analysis and insights across all matchday action. MLS Season Pass will also continue to feature a wide array of on-demand content and in-depth special features spanning all 30 MLS clubs.
Returning for its 11th consecutive season, FOX Sports will air 34 MLS games in 2025 in the U.S., including 15 matches on FOX and 19 matches on FS1, with all FOX Sports broadcasts also providing Spanish-language coverage on FOX Deportes.
MLS stadiums across the United States and Canada will be featured prominently with 14 MLS venues serving as hosts to the first-ever 32-team FIFA Club World Cup and the 2025 Gold Cup, CONCACAF’s flagship men’s national team tournament. MLS will pause regular season play from June 15-24 for the FIFA Club World Cup, an event featuring Inter Miami CF and Seattle Sounders FC, and the CONCACAF Gold Cup.
Leagues Cup 2025, the official Concacaf tournament between LIGA MX and MLS will be played July 29 to August 31 and, similar to other global cup competitions, Leagues Cup will take place during the MLS regular season.
Decision Day 2025 – the final matchday of the MLS regular season with postseason implications on the line – is set for Saturday, October 18. The slate of 14 matches will feature all Eastern Conference matches kicking off at 4 p.m. MT and all Western Conference matches beginning at 7 p.m. MT, respectively on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV. Additionally, New York City FC will host Seattle Sounders in an interconference match at 4 p.m. MT on the final matchday of the season.
The Audi 2025 MLS Cup Playoffs will culminate in Major League Soccer’s championship match, MLS Cup 2025 presented by Audi, on Saturday, December 6, with hosting rights awarded to the competing team with the better regular season record.
2025 – MLS REGULAR SEASON SCHEDULE / KEY DATES
(as of 19 December 2024)
(all times MT; HOME GAMES IN BOLD; PRESEASON / BYE WEEKS IN RED; potential CONCACHAMPIONS / LEAGUES CUP IN BLUE;
ALL SUBJECT TO CHANGE; visit *www.RSL.com* or *www.MLSsoccer.com* or *www.CONCACAF.com* for additional info / details)
DAY / DATE OPPONENT TIME (MT)NOTE:
SAT 01/11/2025 PLAYERS REPORT FOR MEDICALS / FITNESS DAY ONE TRAINING IS MONDAY, JAN. 13
THU 01/23/2025 DEPART UTAH FOR SANTA BARBARA
FRI 01/24/2025 RSL v NYCFC TBD
WED 01/29/2025 RSL v MINNESOTA TBD
THU 01/30/2025 RETURN TO UTAH
MON 02/03/2025 DEPART UTAH FOR COACHELLA VALLEY INVITATIONAL
WED 02/05/2025 RSL v SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES 1:30p Tickets available via *www.CoachellaValleyInvitational.com*
SAT 02/08/2025 RSL v LAS VEGAS (USL) TBD Closed-door, not open to public
WED 02/12/2025 RSL v NY RED BULLS 1:30p Tickets available via *www.CoachellaValleyInvitational.com*
THU 02/13/2025 RETURN TO UTAH
MON 02/17/2025 DEPART UTAH FOR COSTA RICA One training session Tues. Feb. 18 at National Stadium in CRC
WED 02/19/2025 at CS Herediano (CCC) 5:30p RSL returns to Continental Competition for 1st time since 2016
SAT 02/22/2025 at San Jose Earthquakes 8:30p MLS IS BACK KICKOFF for RSL Season No. 21
WED 02/26/2025 CS HEREDIANO (CCC) 6:30p Earliest Home Kickoff since 2011 CCL v Crew SC
SAT 03/01/2025 SEATTLE SOUNDERS FC 2:30p Seattle without win at RSL since 2012 postseason
WED 03/05/2025 CCC ROUND OF 16 LEG ONE Home v. LA Galaxy with win in Herediano series
SAT 03/08/2025 SAN DIEGO FC 7:30p RSL 10W-5L-3T all-time against expansion teams in 1st visits to Utah
WED 03/12/2025 CCC ROUND OF 16 LEG TWO Away @ LA Galaxy with win in Herediano series
SAT 03/15/2025 at Houston Dynamo 7:30p RSL, HOU faced off nine times all competitions last two years
SAT 03/22/2025 FC DALLAS 7:30p No MLS side has won on Wasatch more than Dallas
SAT 03/29/2025 at Minnesota United FC 6:30p RSL returns to site of 2024 postseason elimination
WED 04/02/2025 CCC QUARTERFINAL LEG ONE Likely RSL/LAG series with Tigres/Cincinnati winner opens in Utah
SAT 04/05/2025 LA GALAXY 2:30p MLS Cup 2024 Champions return to Utah
WED 04/09/2025 CCC QUARTERFINAL LEG TWO Tigres (3rd) / Cincy (16th) ahead of RSL (18th) in December ranking
SAT 04/12/2025 at Nashville SC 6:30p RSL visits NSH for first time since 2022
SAT 04/19/2025 TORONTO FC 7:30p Lone TFC win in Utah was in 2007; RSL 9W-1L-2T all comps in Utah
WED 04/22/2025 CCC SEMIFINAL LEG ONE América/Chivas/Cruz Azul/Seattle likely opponent
SAT 04/26/2025 at San Diego FC 5:30p Fourth California team welcomes RSL for first time ever
WED 04/29/2025 CCC SEMIFINAL LEG TWO 19th game for RSL in 74 days should Club advance to this stage
SAT 05/03/2025 at Vancouver Whitecaps 8:30p Can RSL secure comeback win at BC Place for third straight year?
SAT 05/10/2024 at FC Dallas 6:30p RSL winless in last three away at Dallas, last win in 2021
WED 05/14/2025 PORTLAND TIMBERS FC 7:30p Just four wins in last 18 all comps against Timbers
SAT 05/17/2025 at Colorado Rapids 7:30p 1-0 lead conceded in last DSG Park visit to drop Rocky Mtn Cup
SAT 05/24/2025 VANCOUVER WHITECAPS FC 7:30p RSL with five consecutive home wins over Vancouver
WED 05/28/2025 at Austin FC 6:30p RSL with points in Austin last two seasons
SAT 05/31/2025 at LA Galaxy 8:30p 2-0 HT lead conceded at Galaxy a year ago
SUN 06/01/2025 CCC FINAL Single-game elimination at home of highest seed
SAT 06/07/2025 First of four known bye weekends in 2025 calendar
SAT 06/14/2025 D.C. UNITED 7:30p One of 3 eastern conference teams to visit AFF in ‘25
SAT 06/21/2025 Second June bye weekend after 120 intense days to open 2025
WED 06/25/2025 LAFC 7:30p RSL unbeaten in last 3 against West Power Black-and-Gold
SAT 06/28/2025 at Sporting KC 6:30p RSL now 14W-8L-7T v KC since MLS Cup 2013 heartbreak
SAT 07/05/2025 ST. LOUIS CITY SC 7:30p RSL 6W-2L-9T all-time in Independence Day home celebrations
SAT 07/12/2025 HOUSTON DYNAMO 7:30p HOU with just 1 win in last 12 visits to Utah
WED 07/16/2025 at Portland Timbers FC 8:30p Worst loss of 2024 came at Providence Park in Portland last July
SAT 07/19/2025 FC CINCINNATI 7:30p Cincy won in Sandy in late-year 2023 visit
WED 07/23/2025 MLS All-Star Game? To be played at Q2 Stadium in Austin
SAT 07/26/2025 SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES 7:30p Pioneer Day festivities traditionally kind to RSL (8W-4L-5T)
TUE 07/29/2025 LEAGUES CUP KICKOFF new format in 2025 for 18 MLS / 18 LIGA MX teams TBA
SUN 08/10/2025 at New York Red Bulls 4:00p Just one RSL win in 11 trips to “Sports Illustrated Stadium”
SAT 08/16/2025 at Charlotte FC 5:30p 1st RSL visit to CLT, just 2nd-ever match (RSL 3-1 W in 2022)
SAT 08/23/2025 MINNESOTA UNITED FC 7:30p RSL unbeaten in last 8 at home v. MIN; 2022 equalizer latest ever
SAT 08/30/2025 at Seattle Sounders FC 8:30p RSL earning points (4W/1T) in 5 of last 6 visits to Seattle
SUN 08/31/2025 LEAGUES CUP FINAL Seattle road trip would be moved if either team advances to Final
SAT 09/06/2025 Third of four possible bye weekends throughout 2025 MLS season
SAT 09/13/2025 SPORTING KANSAS CITY 7:30p RSL 3 wins / 1 loss in four Utah games since 2020 pandemic
SUN 09/21/2025 at LAFC 7:00p RSL looking to extend unbeaten run v LAFC in lone FS1 appearance
SAT 09/27/2025 AUSTIN FC 7:30p RSL with complete 5-1 win over ATX last season
SAT 10/04/2025 COLORADO RAPIDS 7:30p 2025 Rocky Mountain Cup on the line, RSL looking to reclaim
SAT 10/11/2025 Possible makeup date for any rescheduled MLS matches
SAT 10/18/2025 at St. Louis CITY SC 7:00p Luna dominant in both previous unbeaten visits to STL
AUDI 2025 MLS CUP PLAYOFF DATES (subject to change)
WED 10/22/2025 8 v 9 WILD CARD KNOCKOUT MATCHES
SAT 10/25/2025 KNOCKOUT ROUND “BEST OF THREE” MATCH 1
SAT 11/01/2025 KNOCKOUT ROUND “BEST OF THREE” MATCH 2
SAT 11/08/2025 KNOCKOUT ROUND “BEST OF THREE” MATCH 3 (if necessary)
SAT 11/15/2025 FIFA INTERNATIONAL BREAK
SAT 11/22/2025 CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS – Single-Elimination
SAT 11/29/2025 CONFERENCE FINAL – Single-Elimination
SAT 12/06/2025 MLS CUP 2025
ABOUT REAL SALT LAKE
During the first week of January 2022, the RSL compendium of properties was acquired by global sports entrepreneur David Blitzer – who boasts interests in the Philadelphia 76ers (NBA), the New Jersey Devils (NHL), the Cleveland Guardians (baseball) and the Washington Commanders (NFL) – as well as several European soccer entities, including Crystal Palace (England), FC Augsburg (Germany), Estoril (Portugal), ADO Den Haag (Netherlands), Alcorcón (Spain), SK Beveren (Belgium) and Brøndby IF (Denmark). The Blitzer group partners with Utah-based Smith Entertainment Group (SEG), which owns the Utah Jazz (NBA), led by Ryan Smith and including Dwyane Wade, among others.
Real Salt Lake completed its 20th Major League Soccer season last month, its third full season under Head Coach Pablo Mastroeni, who led the Utah side on an interim basis for the final 100 days in 2021. RSL is the lone Western Conference side to have advanced to the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs in each of 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024 seasons, amassing 14 postseason appearances in the last 17 years, as well as six occasions in the last seven seasons.
RSL's MLS Cup 2009 victory marked the state of Utah's only major professional championship in nearly 40 years, the title preceding an historic run to the 2010/11 CONCACAF Champions League Final. Buoyed by a passionate base boasting several thousand season ticket holders and opening its permanent home in Sandy just over 15 years ago, since October, 2008, RSL’s 176-61-79 (W-L-T) mark at America First Field – home of the “RioT” Supporters Group umbrella – equates to a 1.92 points per game average and a 0.682 win pct, one of the truly amazing value proposition in North American sporting landscape today!
For the 2024 season and beyond, Real Salt Lake’s Blitzer / Smith ownership groups have partnered to bring the National Women’s Soccer League back to Utah, as Utah Royals FC return for their second campaign in Spring 2025. Led by Head Coach Jimmy Coenraets and Sporting Director Kelly Cousins, URFC aims to seize upon the success the NWSL enjoyed during its first iteration on the Wasatch Front from 2018-20 and grow the game to even greater heights going forward. Led by visionary sports business entrepreneur Jess Gelman – the founder of the Sloan Sports Analytics Institute, along with innovative NBA executive Daryl Morey – Utah Royals FC blazes new trails in 2025.
In 2015, the club expanded its development pyramid with the addition of Real Monarchs SLC, one of several MLS-operated clubs playing in the USL Championship, the United States' Division II setup. The Monarchs boast a pair of titles in its brief history, as the 2017 USL Championship Regular-Season champions, later winning the USL Championship title in 2019. For the 2022 season and beyond, Real Monarchs compete in the newly-launched “MLS NEXT Pro” as part of a joint United States and Canada endeavor to complete the professional player pathway by connecting youth academies in MLS NEXT to first teams in Major League Soccer.
The entire competitive RSL setup, which includes nearly 70 players representing the RSL Academy’s U-16 and U-18 teams, calls the expansive Zions Bank Training Center in Herriman, Utah their daily training home. With five world-class grass fields, two indoor turf fields, a residential dormitory, the STEM-based RSL Academy High School and the 5,000-seat Zions Bank Stadium located on a 42-acre campus, Utah’s sporting future is bright.
The RSL Community Foundation was established in 2016, created with the goals of being active in the community year-round, utilizing the popularity and reach of RSL, the Royals, the Monarchs and the Academy in promoting health and wellness in children throughout the region, engaging supporters of soccer to raise funds and volunteer time for various local initiatives.
2025 RSL Full-Season Ticket Packages NOW ON SALE
at ***www.RSL.com*** or by calling 844.Real.Tix.
