2026 MLS Cup Playoffs Bracket
The 2026 MLS Cup Playoffs feature the top nine teams from both the Eastern and Western Conferences, for a total of 18 playoff teams. Seeds No. 1 through No. 7 automatically advance to Round One, while the No. 8 and No. 9 seeds meet in a single-game Wild Card matchup. The Wild Card winner then advances to face the No. 1 seed in its conference.
Round One uses a Best-of-3 format with the following matchups in each conference: No. 1 vs. the Wild Card winner, No. 2 vs. No. 7, No. 3 vs. No. 6 and No. 4 vs. No. 5. The first team to win two games advances — scores are not combined as an aggregate total across the series.
The four remaining teams in each conference advance to the single-elimination Conference Semifinals, followed by a single-game Conference Final. The Eastern and Western Conference champions then meet in MLS Cup on Friday, December 18.
Use the spreadsheet versions to select teams from dropdown menus and track results as the playoffs progress, or download the printable PDF for a simple fill-in bracket.
Round One Note: Round One is a Best-of-3 series, not an aggregate-score series. The first team to win two matches advances.
2026 MLS Cup Playoffs dates
Wild Card Matches: November 18, 2026
Round One Best-of-3: November 20 – December 2, 2026
Conference Semifinals: December 5–6, 2026
Conference Finals: December 11–12, 2026
MLS Cup: December 18, 2026