MLS Cup Playoffs 2026 Schedule: Wild Card Nov. 19, Cup Dec. 18

Major League Soccer’s (MLS) regular season ended on Decision Day, Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026 (Eastern Conference at 4 p.m. Eastern Time (ET), Western Conference at 7 p.m. ET), the playoffs start with Wild Card matches on Thursday, Nov. 19, and MLS Cup presented by Audi is on Friday, Dec. 18, according to the league’s official playoff key dates. MLS announced the schedule on Mar. 16, 2026, and says the dates are subject to change.

This page lays out each round by date with its weekday, lists the final field and the matchups, and says where the games air. A one-page printable of the timeline is below.

What is the MLS Cup playoffs 2026 schedule?

MLS publishes one date or range for each stage. Round One is a best-of-3 series. MLS’s matchup page says it begins Saturday, Nov. 21, while its key-dates page gives a window that opens Friday, Nov. 20; the posted games run from Sat., Nov. 21 to Wed., Dec. 2.

Stage	Dates
Decision Day	Sat., Nov. 7
Wild Card	Thu., Nov. 19
Round One, Game One	Sat., Nov. 21 to Tue., Nov. 24
Round One, Game Two	Fri., Nov. 27 to Sat., Nov. 28
Round One, Game Three (if necessary)	Wed., Dec. 2
Conference Semifinals	Sat., Dec. 5 to Sun., Dec. 6
Conference Finals	Fri., Dec. 11 to Sat., Dec. 12
MLS Cup presented by Audi	Fri., Dec. 18

Source: Major League Soccer, 2026. MLS has posted the Wild Card kickoff times and the Round One game days, times, venues and TV (below); game ranges in this table come from that schedule. Mark them on the November 2026 printable calendar and the December 2026 printable calendar.

When is MLS Decision Day 2026?

Decision Day was Sat., Nov. 7, 2026, per MLS, with the East at 4 p.m. ET and the West at 7 p.m. ET. MLS says the field is complete, with all 18 spots confirmed following Decision Day. Nashville SC won their first-ever Supporters’ Shield, announced by the club on Oct. 24, 2026. After Decision Day, MLS says it will observe the November Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) international window, and the Wild Card does not start until Thu., Nov. 19.

How does the MLS playoffs 2026 format work?

MLS says 18 teams qualify, the top nine in the East and the top nine in the West. Seeds 1 to 7 in each conference go to Round One. Seeds 8 and 9 play single-game Wild Card matches, hosted by the higher seed.

Who is in the MLS playoffs 2026 and who plays whom?

MLS confirmed the final seeds after Decision Day.

Seed	East	West
1	Nashville SC	Vancouver Whitecaps FC
2	Inter Miami CF	FC Dallas
3	New England Revolution	St. Louis City SC
4	Chicago Fire FC	San Jose Earthquakes
5	Charlotte FC	Houston Dynamo FC
6	Philadelphia Union	Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC)
7	Columbus Crew	Portland Timbers
8	Orlando City	Seattle Sounders FC
9	FC Cincinnati	Real Salt Lake

The higher seed hosts each Wild Card match. The two Wild Card matches come first, then the eight Round One series.

Conference	Matchup	When	TV
East	(8) Orlando City vs. (9) FC Cincinnati (Wild Card), Inter.co Stadium	Thu., Nov. 19, 7:30 p.m. ET	Apple TV
West	(8) Seattle Sounders FC vs. (9) Real Salt Lake (Wild Card), Lumen Field	Thu., Nov. 19, 10 p.m. ET	Apple TV

Source: Major League Soccer, 2026.

What is the Round One schedule for the MLS playoffs 2026?

MLS’s matchup page says the Round One best-of-3 series begins on Saturday, Nov. 21. All times are ET as posted by MLS; “Time not yet announced” means MLS has not posted a kickoff time, and the same goes for a venue. TV channels are Apple TV, FS1, FOX Deportes, The Sports Network (TSN) and Réseau des sports (RDS).

Series	Game	Date	Time ET	Venue	TV
East: (1) Nashville SC vs. (8/9) Orlando City or FC Cincinnati	Game 1	Sun., Nov. 22	4 p.m.	Geodis Park, Nashville	Apple TV, FS1, FOX Deportes, TSN, RDS
	Game 2	Sat., Nov. 28	6:30 p.m.	Not yet announced	Apple TV
	Game 3 (if necessary)	Wed., Dec. 2	Time not yet announced	Geodis Park, Nashville	Apple TV
East: (2) Inter Miami CF vs. (7) Columbus Crew	Game 1	Sat., Nov. 21	6 p.m.	Nu Stadium	Apple TV
	Game 2	Fri., Nov. 27	8 p.m.	ScottsMiracle-Gro Field	Apple TV, FS1, FOX Deportes, TSN, RDS
	Game 3 (if necessary)	Wed., Dec. 2	Time not yet announced	Nu Stadium	Apple TV
East: (3) New England Revolution vs. (6) Philadelphia Union	Game 1	Sat., Nov. 21	2 p.m.	Gillette Stadium	Apple TV
	Game 2	Sat., Nov. 28	4:30 p.m.	Subaru Park	Apple TV
	Game 3 (if necessary)	Wed., Dec. 2	Time not yet announced	Gillette Stadium	Apple TV
East: (4) Chicago Fire FC vs. (5) Charlotte FC	Game 1	Sun., Nov. 22	6:30 p.m.	SeatGeek Stadium	Apple TV, FS1, FOX Deportes, TSN, RDS
	Game 2	Sat., Nov. 28	12:30 p.m.	Bank of America Stadium	Apple TV
	Game 3 (if necessary)	Wed., Dec. 2	Time not yet announced	SeatGeek Stadium	Apple TV
West: (1) Vancouver Whitecaps FC vs. (8/9) Seattle Sounders FC or Real Salt Lake	Game 1	Sun., Nov. 22	8:30 p.m.	BC Place	Apple TV, TSN, RDS
	Game 2	Fri., Nov. 27	10 p.m.	Not yet announced	Apple TV, FS1, FOX Deportes
	Game 3 (if necessary)	Wed., Dec. 2	Time not yet announced	BC Place	Apple TV
West: (2) FC Dallas vs. (7) Portland Timbers	Game 1	Sat., Nov. 21	4 p.m.	Toyota Stadium	Apple TV
	Game 2	Sat., Nov. 28	10:30 p.m.	Providence Park	Apple TV, FS1, FOX Deportes, TSN, RDS
	Game 3 (if necessary)	Wed., Dec. 2	Time not yet announced	Toyota Stadium	Apple TV
West: (3) St. Louis City SC vs. (6) LAFC	Game 1	Mon., Nov. 23	8 p.m.	Energizer Park	Apple TV, FS1, FOX Deportes, TSN, RDS
	Game 2	Sat., Nov. 28	8:30 p.m.	Bank of Montreal (BMO) Stadium, Los Angeles	Apple TV
	Game 3 (if necessary)	Wed., Dec. 2	Time not yet announced	Energizer Park	Apple TV
West: (4) San Jose Earthquakes vs. (5) Houston Dynamo FC	Game 1	Tue., Nov. 24	10 p.m.	PayPal Park	Apple TV, FS1, FOX Deportes, TSN, RDS
	Game 2	Sat., Nov. 28	2:30 p.m.	Shell Energy Stadium	Apple TV
	Game 3 (if necessary)	Wed., Dec. 2	Time not yet announced	PayPal Park	Apple TV

Source: Major League Soccer, “Audi 2026 MLS Cup Playoffs: Round One & Wild Card matchups, schedule,” accessed Nov. 14, 2026.

Round One is a best-of-3 series. Game Three is played only if it is needed, which is why MLS lists it separately, on Wed., Dec. 2. The conference semifinals and conference finals follow, and MLS Cup closes the season.

Who hosts each MLS playoff round?

MLS names the host rule for every round. MLS says the Round One dates were added on Oct. 7 and are subject to change.

Round	Dates	Who hosts
Wild Card (No. 8 vs. No. 9 seed, single game)	Thu., Nov. 19	The higher seed; winners face their conference’s No. 1 seed
Round One, Game One (best-of-3)	Sat., Nov. 21 to Tue., Nov. 24	The higher seed
Round One, Game Two	Fri., Nov. 27 to Sat., Nov. 28	The lower seed
Round One, Game Three (if necessary)	Wed., Dec. 2	The higher seed
Conference Semifinals (single game)	Sat., Dec. 5 to Sun., Dec. 6	The higher seed (single-elimination match)
Conference Finals	Fri., Dec. 11 to Sat., Dec. 12	The higher seed (single-elimination match)
MLS Cup presented by Audi (primetime)	Fri., Dec. 18	The finalist with the best regular-season record

Source: Major League Soccer, 2026. MLS says all 16 Round One teams play at least one home game.

Where can I watch the MLS playoffs?

MLS says every playoff match is broadcast live on Apple TV. MLS’s Nov. 7 release says MLS Cup airs on FOX and FOX Deportes in the U.S. and on The Sports Network (TSN) and Réseau des sports (RDS) in Canada, “while select additional playoff matches will air on FS1, FOX Deportes, TSN and RDS.” The two Wild Card matches are on Apple TV. In the Round One schedule MLS posted, every game is on Apple TV, and some games add FS1, FOX Deportes, TSN and RDS; the Round One table above lists the channels game by game.

Who won MLS Cup last year?

In 2025, Inter Miami CF beat Vancouver Whitecaps FC 3-1 in MLS Cup on Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025, at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., per MLS. MLS says the 2026 final is the last MLS Cup in December before the league’s shift to a summer-spring calendar.

Is there a printable MLS playoffs schedule?

Yes. The one-page timeline lists all eight stages with their weekdays, from Decision Day to MLS Cup, and carries the note that dates are subject to change. If you are also tracking other events in the same weeks, see the National Basketball Association (NBA) Cup 2026 schedule, the World Series 2026 schedule and the Ballon d’Or 2026 date and time.