2026 MLS Cup playoffs
| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Country | United States Canada |
| Dates | October 22 – December 6 |
| Teams | 18 |
The 2026 MLS Cup Playoffs (branded as the Audi 2026 MLS Cup Playoffs for sponsorship reasons) will be the post-season championship of Major League Soccer (MLS), the top soccer league in the United States and Canada. It will be the 31st edition of the MLS Cup Playoffs, following the conclusion of the 2026 season. The playoffs will begin on November 18 and will conclude with MLS Cup 2026 on December 18.[1][2]
Format
[edit]Since the 2023 edition, the MLS Cup playoffs had been contested by a field of 18 teams—the top nine teams from each conference.[3] The top seven teams in each conference automatically qualified for round one, while the eighth and ninth-placed teams in each conference played a single wild card match to determine who drew the best-ranked team in their conference, with only a penalty shoot-out occurring if the game was tied.
The first round comprised a best-of-three format, with higher seeds playing against lower seeds. The round did not use an aggregate score, and tied matches proceeded directly to a penalty shoot-out to determine the winner. The remaining three rounds—the conference semifinals, conference finals, and MLS Cup—were single-elimination matches played with extra time and a penalty shoot-out if still tied.[1]
The team with the better regular season record hosted in all rounds except the best-of-three series in round one, where the team with the lower regular season record hosted the second of three possible matches. All matches were broadcast globally on MLS Season Pass, a streaming service operated by Apple.[1] Select matches were available on Fox Sports channels in the US.[4]
Qualified teams
[edit]The playoffs will be contested by 18 teams. The date listed indicates when each team qualified for the playoffs.
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Conference standings
[edit]|
Eastern Conference
Updated to match(es) played on September 27, 2026. Source: MLS (T) Qualified, but not yet for the particular phase indicated |
Western Conference
Updated to match(es) played on September 26, 2026. Source: MLS
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Reference
[edit]- 1 2 3 "MLS announces the playoff schedule for 2026". MLSsoccer.com. Major League Soccer. March 16, 2026. Retrieved March 16, 2026.
- ↑ "2026 MLS playoff bracket schedule scores". Fox Sports. Retrieved October 22, 2025.
- ↑ "MLS adds best-of-3 series to expanded playoffs for 2023 season". ESPN. February 21, 2023. Retrieved September 5, 2025.
- ↑ "Audi 2026 MLS Cup Playoffs: Key dates & schedule information". MLSsoccer.com. Major League Soccer. August 7, 2025. Retrieved November 11, 2025.
- ↑ "Nashville SC clinched Audi 2026 MLS Cup Playoffs spot". Major League Soccer. September 19, 2026. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
