MLS Cup Playoffs: What You Need to Know About the Major League Soccer Championship Race

When it comes to deciding the best team in Major League Soccer, the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada, featuring 29 teams competing for the MLS Cup. Also known as MLS, it's the only league in North America where the regular season leads directly into a knockout tournament to crown a champion. The MLS Cup Playoffs, a single-elimination tournament that begins after the regular season ends and determines the league champion is where everything changes. No more point totals, no more standings — just win or go home. It’s raw, it’s fast, and it’s the most exciting part of the year for fans who’ve stuck through the long season.

The playoffs aren’t just about the top teams. Unlike other leagues, MLS lets in more than half the league, so even teams that barely made the cut can go all the way. That’s why you see underdogs like FC Cincinnati or San Diego FC making deep runs. It’s not about who had the best record — it’s about who’s hot at the right time. The format changes a little every year, but the core is always the same: two conferences, home-field advantage for higher seeds, and one final match in December that decides it all. The winner gets the MLS Cup, the trophy awarded to the champion of Major League Soccer since 1996, a spot in the CONCACAF Champions Cup, and bragging rights for a whole year.

What makes the playoffs so unpredictable? It’s the pressure. Players who barely played during the regular season suddenly become heroes. Goalkeepers make saves that live on TikTok. Coaches make bold substitutions that either pay off or backfire. And fans? They’re loud. The atmosphere in places like Audi Field or Lumen Field during playoff nights is unlike anything else in American soccer. There’s no room for error. One mistake, one bad night, and your season’s over. That’s why teams like LAFC, Columbus Crew, and New England Revolution always treat the playoffs like a separate league — because they are.

Below, you’ll find real stories from recent seasons — big wins, shocking upsets, and moments that turned careers. Whether it’s a last-minute goal in the Western Conference Final or a rookie stepping up when the team needed them most, these are the moments that define the MLS Cup Playoffs. You won’t find fluff here. Just the games that mattered, the players who rose to the occasion, and the reasons why this tournament keeps getting better every year.