Audi 2026 MLS Cup Playoffs: Format & how it works

Major League Soccer’s playoff path for the 2026 season is finalized, leading to MLS Cup presented by Audi on December 18. The regular season ends with Decision Day (Matchday 35) on Saturday, November 7: Eastern Conference games kick off at 4 pm ET and Western Conference matches at 7 pm ET, with a single cross-conference match at 4 pm ET between CF Montréal and Vancouver Whitecaps FC. Eighteen of 30 teams qualify—top nine in each conference. Seeds 1–7 in each conference advance directly to Round One best-of-three series, while seeds 8–9 enter wild cards. Wild Card matches are one-game eliminations on November 18; if tied after regulation, there’s no extra time, only penalties. Round One runs from November 20 to December 2, followed by conference semis (Dec 5–6) and conference finals (Dec 11–12).