MLS Cup playoffs

Playoff system

Since 2023, the top nine teams from each of the Eastern and Western Conference qualify for the playoffs, playing in separate brackets. The wild-card round, conference semifinals, conference finals, and the MLS Cup are single-match eliminations hosted by the team with the better regular season record, while round one is a best-of-3 series with the higher seeds hosting the odd-numbered games with no re-seeding in any round. A penalty shoot-out is used if the teams are still tied in all games while extra time (divided into two 15-minute periods) is utilized from conference semifinals onwards.

The teams ranked 8th and 9th in each conference compete in the Wild-card round, with the winner advancing to Round One against the first-place team in the conference. The other six teams play each other using the highest v. lowest matchups: 2 v 7, 3 v 6, and 4 v 5. The winners of the first-round series advance to the conference semifinals, then the conference finals, and finally the MLS Cup, a single match hosted by the finalist with the better regular-season record.

Previously, the top seven teams per conference qualified for the playoffs, with only the team with the best regular-season record in each conference earning a first-round bye to the conference semifinals. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the top ten teams from the Eastern and top eight teams from the Western conference qualified for the playoffs in the 2020 season, with single-elimination remaining intact. The top six Eastern teams earned byes to the first round while teams seeded 7–10 and competed in play-in games. The lowest-ranked team to advance from the play-in round advanced to play the conference's first-placed team while the highest-ranked remaining team from that round advanced to face the conference's runner-up. In the Western Conference, the top eight teams competed in their first round with no byes.

The conference semifinals and conference finals were formerly conducted in a home-and-away, aggregate-goal format. From 2014 to 2018, the away goals rule was used for these rounds. In both rounds, the higher-seeded team hosted the second leg. If the teams were tied after two games (180 minutes), the team that scored more goals on the road advanced. If there was still a tie after the away goals rule had been applied, the teams played 30 minutes of extra time (divided into two 15-minute periods), followed by a penalty shoot-out if necessary. The away goals rule did not apply to goals scored in these extra periods.

Qualification

Eighteen teams qualify for the playoffs: the top nine teams from the Eastern Conference and the Western Conference that had earned the best points per game record during the 34-game regular season. The top seven teams in each conference get a first-round bye, advancing to the conference quarterfinals.

Tie-breaking procedures

If at least two teams finish the regular season with an equal number of points, the following criteria are used to break the tie, with coin tosses (two teams) or drawing of lots (at least three teams) used if all of those below fail.

• Most wins
• Higher goal differential
• Higher goals scored
• Fewer disciplinary points
• Higher away goal differential
• Higher away goals scored
• Higher home goal differential
• Higher home goals scored

Note:

• If two clubs remain tied after another club with the same number of points advances during any step, the tie breaker reverts to step 1 for the two remaining clubs.
• Head-to-head competition results have not been used in tie-breakers since 2012.

History

MLS playoff records

• Records include all knockout playoff matches, individual legs of aggregate-goal rounds, and MLS Cup appearances.

Goals

Note: Players in bold are still active for an MLS club.

Most goals by season

Most goals in MLS Cup finals

Note: Players in bold are still active for an MLS club. Finals in italics indicate an all-time record for a single final match.

Club records and appearances

DO NOT EDIT UNTIL ENTIRE PLAYOFF FIELD IS SET PLEASE MAINTAIN CONSISTENCY REGARDING ELIMINATION MATCHES/PENALTIES AS EXPLAINED BELOW (THIS FOLLOWS THE STANDARD FOOTBALL SCORE-KEEPING WORLDWIDE)

• Single-elimination matches decided by a penalty shoot-out are counted as draws.
• Matches decided by a penalty shoot-out in best-of-three series are counted as a win/loss based on the shoot-out's outcome. Teams in bold took part in the 2025 MLS Cup playoffs

• Miami Fusion and Tampa Bay Mutiny folded after the completion of the 2001 season.
• Chivas USA folded after the completion of the 2014 season.

MLS Cup playoffs shoot-outs

• MLS began implementing a shoot-out to determine the winner of a playoff series in 2004.
• From 2014 to 2018 the away goals rule was used (but not in extra time).

Game played at neutral location

References

References

1. (June 1, 2022). "Concacaf announces qualification criteria for Confederation's expanded Champions League starting in 2024". CONCACAF.
2. (February 21, 2023). "Major League Soccer Announces Audi 2023 MLS Cup Playoffs Format and Schedule". Major League Soccer.
3. (2023-02-22). "MLS reveals new playoff format for 2023 season".
4. (February 22, 2023). "MLS playoff format: Major League Soccer introduce a play-in round to their postseason".
5. (December 17, 2018). "MLS announces new playoff format for 2019 season".
6. (December 17, 2018). "MLS overhauls playoff format, alters league schedule".
7. mlssoccer. "How the 2020 Audi MLS Cup Playoffs will work: Qualifying and competition format {{!}} MLSSoccer.com".
8. (March 7, 2014). "Major League Soccer to introduce away-goals rule for first time in 2014 MLS Cup Playoffs". MLS.
9. (March 8, 2014). "MLS adopts away goals rule". ESPN.
10. "MLS Cup Playoff Format".
11. "New tiebreakers designed to encourage attacking play". MLSSoccer.com.
12. (August 26, 2024). "Audi 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs: What should you know?".
13. (February 20, 2025). "2025 MLS Competition Guidelines".
14. (September 11, 2020). "How the 2020 Audi MLS Cup Playoffs will work: Qualifying and competition format". Major League Soccer.