Gates open 3:30pm, kick-off 4:00pm. MLS NEXT Pro is a professional men’s soccer league in the United States and Canada that completes the pro player pathway from MLS NEXT, the youth academies associated with MLS, through to MLS, the top U.S. domestic league. Entering the fourth season for the league, MLS NEXT Pro consists of 29 teams (27 MLS affiliates and 2 independent clubs) split between the Eastern and Western Conference.