MLS playoffs bracket 2025: full schedule, fixtures and live results

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• Playoff format and the calendar that matters
• Qualified clubs: who made the 2025 MLS playoffs
  • Eastern Conference qualifiers and non-qualifiers
  • Western Conference qualifiers and misses
• Playoff bracket: matchups, results and broadcast info
  • Wild Card round
  • Round One — Game 1 results
  • Round One — Game 2 highlights
  • Round One — Game 3 deciders
  • Conference Semifinals
  • Conference Finals
  • MLS Cup final
• Host rules and what decides MLS Cup location
• Decision Day results that sealed the standings

The 2025 MLS Cup playoffs are delivering a mix of shocks and familiar names as Major League Soccer races toward its December crown. From wild-card upsets to high-stakes, best-of-three series, the postseason has reshuffled expectations and set up a final between two of the league’s most in-form clubs.

Playoff format and the calendar that matters

Major League Soccer staged its postseason over roughly six weeks in 2025. The campaign began with the Wild Card games and ends with the MLS Cup on Saturday, December 6.

• The tournament opened with Wild Card play-ins on October 22.
• Round One used a best-of-three format. Each team hosted at least one match. A deciding Game 3 went to the higher seed.
• After Round One, ties were settled by single-elimination matches through the conference semis and finals.
• The MLS Cup host is the club with the higher total points in the regular season, not the higher conference seed.

Qualified clubs: who made the 2025 MLS playoffs

The playoff field split into Eastern and Western Conferences. Below are the clubs that qualified and those that missed out.

Eastern Conference qualifiers and non-qualifiers

• Qualified: Philadelphia Union, FC Cincinnati, Inter Miami, Charlotte FC, New York City FC, Nashville SC, Columbus Crew, Chicago Fire, Orlando City.
• Eliminated: New York Red Bulls, New England Revolution, Toronto FC, CF Montréal, Atlanta United, D.C. United.

Eastern seeds and final marks:

1. Philadelphia Union — 66 pts (20-6-8), GD +22
2. FC Cincinnati — 65 pts (20-5-9), GD +12
3. Inter Miami — 65 pts (19-8-7), GD +26
4. Charlotte FC — 59 pts (19-2-13), GD +9
5. New York City FC — 56 pts (17-5-12), GD +6
6. Nashville SC — 54 pts (16-6-12), GD +13
7. Columbus Crew — 54 pts (14-12-8), GD +4
8. Chicago Fire — 53 pts (15-8-11), GD +8
9. Orlando City SC — 53 pts (14-11-9), GD +12

Western Conference qualifiers and misses

• Qualified: San Diego FC, Vancouver Whitecaps, LAFC, Minnesota United, Seattle Sounders, Austin FC, FC Dallas, Portland Timbers, Real Salt Lake.
• Eliminated: San Jose Earthquakes, Colorado Rapids, Houston Dynamo, St. Louis City, LA Galaxy, Sporting KC.

Western seeds and final marks:

1. San Diego FC — 63 pts (19-6-9), GD +23
2. Vancouver Whitecaps — 63 pts (18-9-7), GD +28
3. LAFC — 60 pts (17-9-8), GD +25
4. Minnesota United — 58 pts (16-10-8), GD +17
5. Seattle Sounders — 55 pts (15-10-9), GD +10
6. Austin FC — 47 pts (13-8-13), GD -8
7. FC Dallas — 44 pts (11-11-12), GD -3
8. Portland Timbers — 44 pts (11-11-12), GD -7
9. Real Salt Lake — 41 pts (12-5-17), GD -11

Playoff bracket: matchups, results and broadcast info

Below is a chronological rundown of the postseason. Times are Eastern, and most matches streamed on MLS Season Pass.

Wild Card round

• Wed, Oct. 22 — Chicago Fire 3-1 Orlando City. Soldier Field. MLS Season Pass.
• Wed, Oct. 22 — Portland Timbers 3-1 Real Salt Lake. Providence Park. MLS Season Pass.

Round One — Game 1 results

• Fri, Oct. 24 — Inter Miami 3-1 Nashville SC. Chase Stadium. MLS Season Pass.
• Sun, Oct. 26 — Philadelphia Union 2-2 Chicago Fire (Union won 4-2 on penalties). Subaru Park. MLS Season Pass.
• Sun, Oct. 26 — Vancouver Whitecaps 3-0 FC Dallas. BC Place. MLS Season Pass.
• Sun, Oct. 26 — San Diego FC 2-1 Portland Timbers. Snapdragon Stadium. MLS Season Pass.
• Mon, Oct. 27 — FC Cincinnati 1-0 Columbus Crew. TQL Stadium. MLS Season Pass.
• Mon, Oct. 27 — Minnesota United 0-0 Seattle Sounders (Minnesota won 3-2 on penalties). Allianz Field. MLS Season Pass.
• Tue, Oct. 28 — Charlotte FC 0-1 NYCFC. Bank of America Stadium. MLS Season Pass.
• Wed, Oct. 29 — LAFC 2-1 Austin FC. BMO Stadium. MLS Season Pass.

Round One — Game 2 highlights

• Sat, Nov. 1 — NYCFC 0-0 Charlotte FC (Charlotte won 7-6 on penalties). Yankee Stadium. MLS Season Pass.
• Sat, Nov. 1 — Chicago Fire 0-3 Philadelphia Union. Soldier Field. MLS Season Pass.
• Sat, Nov. 1 — Nashville SC 2-1 Inter Miami. GEODIS Park. MLS Season Pass.
• Sat, Nov. 1 — FC Dallas 1-1 Vancouver Whitecaps (Vancouver won 4-2 on penalties). Toyota Stadium. MLS Season Pass.
• Sat, Nov. 1 — Portland Timbers 2-2 San Diego FC (Portland won 3-2 on penalties). Providence Park. MLS Season Pass.
• Sun, Nov. 2 — Columbus Crew 4-0 FC Cincinnati. Lower.com Field. MLS Season Pass.
• Sun, Nov. 2 — Austin FC 1-4 LAFC. Q2 Stadium. MLS Season Pass.
• Mon, Nov. 3 — Seattle Sounders 4-2 Minnesota United. Lumen Field. MLS Season Pass.

Round One — Game 3 deciders

• Fri, Nov. 7 — Charlotte FC 1-3 NYCFC. Bank of America Stadium. MLS Season Pass.
• Sat, Nov. 8 — Minnesota United 3-3 Seattle Sounders (Minnesota won 7-6 on penalties). Allianz Stadium. MLS Season Pass.
• Sat, Nov. 8 — FC Cincinnati 2-1 Columbus Crew. TQL Stadium. MLS Season Pass.
• Sat, Nov. 8 — Inter Miami 4-0 Nashville SC. Chase Stadium. MLS Season Pass.
• Sun, Nov. 9 — San Diego FC 4-0 Portland Timbers. Snapdragon Stadium. MLS Season Pass.

Conference Semifinals

• Sat, Nov. 22 — Vancouver Whitecaps 2-2 LAFC (Vancouver won 4-3 on penalties). BC Place. MLS Season Pass.
• Sun, Nov. 23 — FC Cincinnati 0-4 Inter Miami. TQL Stadium. MLS Season Pass.
• Sun, Nov. 23 — Philadelphia Union 0-1 NYCFC. Subaru Park. MLS Season Pass.
• Mon, Nov. 24 — San Diego FC 1-0 Minnesota United. Snapdragon Stadium. MLS Season Pass.

Conference Finals

• Nov. 29 — Inter Miami 5-1 NYCFC. Chase Stadium. MLS Season Pass.
• Nov. 29 — San Diego FC 1-3 Vancouver Whitecaps. Snapdragon Stadium. MLS Season Pass.

MLS Cup final

• Sat, Dec. 6 — Inter Miami vs. Vancouver Whitecaps. 2:30 p.m. ET. Chase Stadium. MLS Season Pass.

Host rules and what decides MLS Cup location

The MLS Cup host is the team with the higher regular-season point total across both conferences. This rule can swap home advantage even if seeding differs.

For example: if a Western side holds a lower conference seed but earned more points than the Eastern opponent, that Western club would host the final.

Decision Day results that sealed the standings

Key matches on Decision Day shaped the bracket and final seating for the playoffs.

• Sat, Oct. 18 — NYCFC 1-2 Seattle Sounders (Yankee Stadium).
• Sat, Oct. 18 — New England Revolution 2-2 Chicago Fire (Gillette Stadium).
• Sat, Oct. 18 — Nashville SC 2-5 Inter Miami (GEODIS Park).
• Sat, Oct. 18 — Columbus Crew 3-1 New York Red Bulls (Lower.com Field).
• Sat, Oct. 18 — FC Cincinnati 3-0 CF Montréal (TQL Stadium).
• Sat, Oct. 18 — Charlotte FC 2-0 Philadelphia Union (Bank of America Stadium).
• Sat, Oct. 18 — Portland Timbers 0-4 San Diego FC (Providence Park).
• Sat, Oct. 18 — LA Galaxy 2-1 Minnesota United (Dignity Health Sports Park).
• Sat, Oct. 18 — Sporting KC 0-0 Houston Dynamo (Children’s Mercy Park).
• Sat, Oct. 18 — Vancouver Whitecaps 1-2 FC Dallas (BC Place).
• Sat, Oct. 18 — St. Louis City 2-2 Real Salt Lake (Energizer Park).
• Sat, Oct. 18 — San Jose Earthquakes 2-1 Austin FC (PayPal Park).
• Sat, Oct. 18 — Colorado Rapids 2-2 LAFC (Dick’s Sporting Goods Park).

Note: LA Galaxy, the previous season’s champions, did not defend their title after a difficult regular season and finished outside the playoff picture.