MLS kicks off its seventh season March 23. The 2002 regular-season openers are highlighted by the Chicago Fire traveling to Crew Stadium in Columbus in a match to be televised live on ABC Sports at 4:00 p.m. ET. Each of the league’s 10 teams will play a total of 28 games for the second consecutive season, with four games (two home, two away) against each opponent within its conference. The remaining 12 games of the schedule will have each team playing at home and away against clubs outside its conference, and hosting two home games against one club from the opposite Conference. This outside opponent was decided based on points-per-game rankings from the 2001 regular season, matching strongest vs. strongest.
| Saturday, March 23 | |
| D.C. United at Los Angeles | 10:00 p.m. ET |
| Chicago at Columbus | 4:00 p.m. ET |
| New England at MetroStars | 7:30 p.m. ET |
| Colorado at Kansas City | 8:00 p.m. ET |
| San Jose at Dallas | 8:30 p.m. ET |
| Saturday, March 30 | |
| Chicago at D.C. United | 4:00 p.m. ET |
| Columbus at MetroStars | 7:30 p.m. ET |
| San Jose at Colorado | 9:00 p.m. ET |
| Saturday, April 6 | |
| New England at San Jose | 10:00 p.m. ET |
| Chicago at Los Angeles | 10:00 p.m. ET |
| D.C. United at Dallas | 3:00 p.m. ET |
| MetroStars at Columbus | 7:30 p.m. ET |
| Saturday, April 13 | |
| Dallas at Los Angeles | 10:00 p.m. ET |
| San Jose at Kansas City | 4:00 p.m. ET |
| MetroStars at Colorado | 9:00 p.m. ET |
| Saturday, April 20 | |
| Colorado at San Jose | 10:00 p.m. ET |
| New England at Columbus | 4:00 p.m. ET |
| Kansas City at D.C. United | 7:30 p.m. ET |
| Chicago at MetroStars | 7:30 p.m. ET |
| Los Angeles at Dallas | 8:30 p.m. ET |
| Saturday, April 27 | |
| Colorado at Los Angeles | 4:00 p.m. ET |
| San Jose at MetroStars | 7:30 p.m. ET |
| D.C. United at Columbus | 7:30 p.m. ET |
| New England at Chicago | 8:30 p.m. ET |
| Kansas City at Dallas | 8:30 p.m. ET |
| Saturday, May 4 | |
| Columbus at San Jose | 4:00 p.m. ET |
| Chicago at D.C. United | 7:30 p.m. ET |
| Los Angeles at Kansas City | 8:00 p.m. ET |
| Dallas at MetroStars | 8:00 p.m. ET |
| Saturday, May 11 | |
| MetroStars at San Jose | 10:00 p.m. ET |
| Los Angeles at Chicago | 4:00 p.m. ET |
| Dallas at New England | 7:30 p.m. ET |
| Columbus at D.C. United | 7:30 p.m. ET |
| Kansas City at Colorado | 9:00 p.m. ET |
| Saturday, May 18 | |
| Chicago at New England | 4:00 p.m. ET |
| MetroStars at D.C. United | 6:30 p.m. ET |
| San Jose at Columbus | 7:30 p.m. ET |
| Los Angeles at Kansas City | 8:00 p.m. ET |
| Colorado at Dallas | 8:30 p.m. ET |
| Wednesday, May 22 | |
| New England at Colorado | 9:00 p.m. ET |
| Saturday, May 25 | |
| Kansas City at MetroStars | 7:30 p.m. ET |
| Dallas at Columbus | 7:30 p.m. ET |
| Los Angeles at New England | 7:30 p.m. ET |
| Sunday, May 26 | |
| San Jose at Chicago | 8:30 p.m. ET |
| Saturday, June 1 | |
| San Jose at New England | 4:00 p.m. ET |
| Dallas at Kansas City | 8:00 p.m. ET |
| Columbus at Chicago | 8:30 p.m. ET |
| Los Angeles at Colorado | 9:00 p.m. ET |
| Saturday, June 8 | |
| Kansas City at San Jose | 10:00 p.m. ET |
| Chicago at Los Angeles | 4:00 p.m. ET |
| New England at D.C. United | 7:30 p.m. ET |
| Colorado at Dallas | 8:30 p.m. ET |
| Wednesday, June 12 | |
| Columbus at New England | 7:00 p.m. ET |
| Saturday, June 15 | |
| Los Angeles at MetroStars | 4:00 p.m. ET |
| San Jose at Columbus | 7:30 p.m. ET |
| D.C. United at Kansas City | 8:00 p.m. ET |
| Dallas at Chicago | 8:30 p.m. ET |
| New England at Colorado | 9:00 p.m. ET |
| Wednesday, June 19 | |
| Colorado at D.C. United | 7:30 p.m. ET |
| Kansas City at Columbus | 7:30 p.m. ET |
| Saturday, June 22 | |
| Colorado at San Jose | 10:00 p.m. ET |
| Dallas at Los Angeles | 10:00 p.m. ET |
| MetroStars at Chicago | 4:00 p.m. ET |
| New England at Kansas City | 8:00 p.m. ET |
| Wednesday, June 26 | |
| Colorado at MetroStars | 7:30 p.m. ET |
| Saturday, June 29 | |
| Kansas City at San Jose | 10:00 p.m. ET |
| Los Angeles at D.C. United | 4:00 p.m. ET |
| MetroStars at New England | 7:30 p.m. ET |
| Columbus at Dallas | 8:30 p.m. ET |
| Thursday, July 4 | |
| San Jose at Los Angeles | 10:00 p.m. ET |
| Columbus at New England | 7:30 p.m. ET |
| D.C. United at Kansas City | 8:00 p.m. ET |
| MetroStars at Dallas | 8:00 p.m. ET |
| Chicago at Colorado | 9:00 p.m. ET |
| Saturday, July 6 | |
| Dallas at Kansas City | 4:00 p.m. ET |
| D.C. United at New England | 7:30 p.m. ET |
| MetroStars at Columbus | 7:30 p.m. ET |
| Sunday, July 7 | |
| Colorado at Chicago | 4:00 p.m. ET |
| Los Angeles at San Jose | 9:00 p.m. ET |
| Saturday, July 13 | |
| Chicago at MetroStars | 4:00 p.m. ET |
| Kansas City at New England | 7:30 p.m. ET |
| Columbus at D.C. United | 7:30 p.m. ET |
| San Jose at Dallas | 8:30 p.m. ET |
| Los Angeles at Colorado | 9:00 p.m. ET |
| Saturday, July 20 | |
| Dallas at San Jose | 10:00 p.m. ET |
| Kansas City at Los Angeles | 10:00 p.m. ET |
| New England at MetroStars | 4:00 p.m. ET |
| Colorado at Columbus | 7:30 p.m. ET |
| D.C. United at Chicago | 8:30 p.m. ET |
| Wednesday, July 24 | |
| Chicago at San Jose | 10:00 p.m. ET |
| Colorado at New England | 7:30 p.m. ET |
| D.C. United at Columbus | 7:30 p.m. ET |
| MetroStars at Kansas City | 8:00 p.m. ET |
| Saturday, July 27 | |
| Columbus at Los Angeles | 10:00 p.m. ET |
| MetroStars at Chicago | 4:00 p.m. ET |
| New England at D.C. United | 6:30 p.m. ET |
| San Jose at Kansas City | 8:00 p.m. ET |
| Dallas at Colorado | 9:00 p.m. ET |
| Wednesday, July 31 | |
| Columbus at MetroStars | 7:30 p.m. ET |
| D.C. United at Chicago | 8:30 p.m. ET |
| Kansas City at Dallas | 8:30 p.m. ET |
| Saturday, August 10 | |
| New England at Los Angeles | 10:00 p.m. ET |
| Chicago at Dallas | 4:00 p.m. ET |
| Kansas City at D.C. United | 7:30 p.m. ET |
| Columbus at Colorado | 9:00 p.m. ET |
| Wednesday, August 14 | |
| Los Angeles at Columbus | 7:30 p.m. ET |
| Kansas City at Chicago | 8:30 p.m. ET |
| D.C. United at Colorado | 9:00 p.m. ET |
| Saturday, August 17 | |
| Colorado at Los Angeles | 10:00 p.m. ET |
| D.C. United at San Jose | 4:00 p.m. ET |
| Dallas at MetroStars | 7:30 p.m. ET |
| Chicago at New England | 7:30 p.m. ET |
| Sunday, August 18 | |
| Columbus at Kansas City | 8:00 p.m. ET |
| Wednesday, August 21 | |
| Kansas City at Los Angeles | 10:00 p.m. ET |
| Dallas at San Jose | 10:00 p.m. ET |
| Saturday, August 24 | |
| San Jose at Colorado | 4:00 p.m. ET |
| New England at Chicago | 8:30 p.m. ET |
| Los Angeles at Dallas | 8:30 p.m. ET |
| Sunday, August 25 | |
| D.C. United at MetroStars | 4:00 p.m. ET |
| Wednesday, August 28 | |
| Colorado at New England | 7:30 p.m. ET |
| Saturday, August 31 | |
| MetroStars at Los Angeles | 10:00 p.m. ET |
| San Jose at D.C. United | 7:30 p.m. ET |
| New England at Columbus | 7:30 p.m. ET |
| Chicago at Kansas City | 8:00 p.m. ET |
| Sunday, September 1 | |
| Dallas at Colorado | 9:00 p.m. ET |
| Thursday, September 5 | |
| MetroStars at Dallas | TBD p.m. ET |
| Saturday, September 7 | |
| Columbus at San Jose | 10:00 p.m. ET |
| D.C. United at New England | 7:30 p.m. ET |
| Los Angeles at Chicago | 8:30 p.m. ET |
| Thursday, September 12 | |
| D.C. United at MetroStars | 7:30 p.m. ET |
| Saturday, September 14 | |
| San Jose at Los Angeles | 10:00 p.m. ET |
| Chicago at Columbus | 7:30 p.m. ET |
| MetroStars at D.C. United | 7:30 p.m. ET |
| Colorado at Kansas City | 8:00 p.m. ET |
| New England at Dallas | 8:30 p.m. ET |
| Thursday, September 19 | |
| Dallas at D.C. United | 7:30 p.m. ET |
| Saturday, September 21 | |
| Los Angeles at San Jose | 10:00 p.m. ET |
| MetroStars at New England | 7:30 p.m. ET |
| Kansas City at Colorado | 9:00 p.m. ET |
| Sunday, September 22 | |
| Columbus at Chicago | 4:00 p.m. ET |