The 30th edition of the MLS playoffs will initially feature 18 teams hoping to win the MLS cup across a tournament lasting more than a month.
Inter Miami and MLS golden boot winner Lionel Messi are the most high-profile participants, having finished third in the Eastern Conference.
“We have some of the greatest players ever to have played the game here,” Miami defender Ian Fray said after the end of the regular season. “Whoever we play, we’re going to have the same mindset.”
Here are all the details you need to know on the 2025 MLS playoffs, including the schedule, bracket and how to watch.
29 goals in the regular season. 💪
Hat trick and an assist to secure the dub.
Potential Golden Boot pres. by Audi award for Messi waiting. pic.twitter.com/9sUbONDSXT
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) October 19, 2025
Table of Contents
2025 playoffs: MLS schedule, dates, fixtures
The post-season competition will run from October 22 until December 6 2025. The regular season ended on October 18.
The top nine teams from the Eastern Conference and Western Conference contest the matches, starting with one-off Wild Card matches in each division between the eighth and ninth-placed teams.
The winners of those games will join the rest of the teams in best-of-three first round matches, followed by one-off semi-finals and finals in each conference and the single MLS Cup match between the winners of each final.
The teams finishing higher play at home or play the first and, if required, third matches at home in the best-of-three fixtures.
The highest-ranked finalist in the overall Supporters’ Shield table will host the MLS Cup, which will take place on December 6 at a time to be confirmed.
Details of the dates and times for games between the Wild Card fixtures and MLS Cup will be confirmed when they are made available from the MLS.
The Wild Card matches take place at 20:30 ET / 17:30 PT / 01:30 GMT on October 22 (October 23 GMT).
Eastern Conference: Chicago Fire vs Orlando City
Western Conference: Portland Timbers vs Real Salt Lake
Denis ➡️ Son ➡️ Goal
Thrill of the Match | @Yaamava pic.twitter.com/yPySGXGzuX
— LAFC (@LAFC) October 19, 2025
2025 MLS playoffs bracket
Here’s how the bracket looks after those Wild Card matches. This will be updated and you can find the official MLS bracket here.
Western Conference round one
San Diego vs Portland/Real Salt Lake
Minnesota United vs Seattle Sounders
Los Angeles FC vs Austin
Vancouver Whitecaps vs Dallas
Western Conference semifinals
SF1: San Diego/Portland/Real Salt Lake vs Minnesota United/Seattle Sounders
SF2: Los Angeles FC/Austin vs Vancouver Whitecaps/Dallas
Western Conference final
Winner SF1 vs winner SF2
Eastern Conference round one
Philadelphia Union vs Chicago Fire/Orlando City
Charlotte vs New York City
Inter Miami vs Nashville
Cincinnati vs Columbus Crew
Eastern Conference semifinals
SF1: Philadelphia Union/Chicago Fire/Orlando City vs Charlotte/New York City
SF2: Inter Miami/Nashville vs Cincinnati/Columbus Crew
Eastern Conference final
Winner SF1 vs winner SF2
MLS playoffs 2025 standings
Eastern Conference
- Philadelphia Union
- Cincinnati
- Inter Miami
- Charlotte
- New York City
- Nashville
- Columbus
- Chicago
- Orlando
Western Conference
- San Diego
- Vancouver
- Los Angeles
- Minnesota
- Seattle
- Austin
- Dallas
- Portland
- Real Salt Lake
MLS Cup 2025: Lionel Messi, Inter Miami fixtures
Miami will host Nashville, who they completed a double over with a 5-2 away win on the final day of the regular season, in the first round.
They could then face one of the teams who finished above them, Philadelphia or Cincinnati, in the semifinals, while Charlotte are the highest-ranked team they could meet in their conference final.
Their kindest run by ranking could pit them against Columbus in the semifinals and ninth-placed Orlando in the conference final, although they lost by three goals home and away to City in the MLS before beating them 3-1 at home in the Leagues Cup semifinals.
Messi and his teammates will hope to avoid a repeat of their shock exit in their first playoff tie last season, when they were ranked first as the Supporters’ Shield winners but were knocked out by ninth-ranked Atlanta United despite winning the opening match between the teams.
How to watch the 2025 MLS playoffs: Live stream, TV channel
Live coverage of the MLS playoffs is available through the MLS Season Pass on Apple TV+.
In the US, a subscription costs $14.99 a month or $69 a season. Existing Apple TV+ subscribers pay $12.99 per month or $59 a season.
MLS Cup winners by year
- 2024: LA Galaxy 2-1 New York Red Bulls
- 2023: Columbus 2-1 LAFC
- 2022: LAFC 3-3 Philadelphia Union (3-0 pen)
- 2021: Portland 1-1 New York City (4-2 pen)
- 2020: Columbus 3-0 Seattle
- 2019: Seattle 3-1 Toronto
- 2018: Atlanta 2-0 Portland
- 2017: Toronto 2-0 Seattle
- 2016: Seattle 0-0 Toronto (5-4 pen)
- 2015: Portland 2-1 Columbus
- 2014: LA Galaxy 2-1 New England Revolution (AET)
- 2013: Sporting Kansas City 1-1 Real Salt Lake (7-6 pen)
- 2012: LA Galaxy 3-1 Houston Dynamo
- 2011: LA Galaxy 1-0 Houston
- 2010: Colorado Rapids 2-1 Dallas (AET)
- 2009: Real Salt Lake 1-1 LA Galaxy (5-4 pen)
- 2008: Columbus 3-1 New York Red Bulls
- 2007: Houston 2-1 New England
- 2006: Houston 1-1 New England (4-3 pen)
- 2005: LA Galaxy 1-0 New England (AET)
- 2004: DC United 3-2 Kansas City Wizards
- 2003: San Jose Earthquakes 4-2 Chicago
- 2002: LA Galaxy 1-0 New England (AET)
- 2001: San Jose 2-1 LA Galaxy (AET)
- 2000: Kansas City Wizards 1-0 Chicago
- 1999: DC 2-0 LA Galaxy
- 1998: Chicago 2-0 DC
- 1997: DC 2-1 Colorado
- 1996: DC 3-2 LA Galaxy (AET)
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: 101greatgoals.com
