MLS Announces 2026 Playoff Schedule The Major League Soccer (MLS) released the full schedule for the 2026 playoffs on Sunday, November 8. The first‑round matches begin on Saturday, November 21, and the MLS Cup final is set for Friday, December 18. ### Playoff Format The playoffs use a best‑of‑three series in the first round. Game 1 is played at the higher‑seeded team’s home field. Game 2 is played at the lower‑seeded team’s home field. If necessary, Game 3 is played again at the higher‑seeded team’s home field. The first team to win two games advances to the Conference Semifinals. If a game ends in a tie after regulation, the winner is decided by a penalty‑shootout; no extra time is played. The Wild‑Card round opens on Sunday, November 19. ### First‑Round Matchups | Date | Time (ET) | Match | Venue | Broadcast | |——|———–|——-|——-|———–| | Sat, Nov 21 | 2 p.m. | New England Revolution vs. Philadelphia Union | Gillette Stadium | Apple TV | | Sat, Nov 21 | 4 p.m. | FC Dallas vs. Portland Timbers | Toyota Stadium | Apple TV | | Sat, Nov 21 | 6 p.m. | Inter Miami vs. Columbus Crew | Nu Stadium | Apple TV | | Sun, Nov 22 | 4 p.m. | Nashville SC vs. Orlando City (winner of Orlando City vs. FC Cincinnati) | GEODIS Park | Apple TV, FS1, Fox Deportes, TSN, RDS | | Sun, Nov 22 | 6:30 p.m. | Chicago Fire vs. Charlotte FC | SeatGeek Stadium | Apple TV, FS1, Fox Deportes, TSN, RDS | | Sun, Nov 22 | 8:30 p.m. | Vancouver Whitecaps vs. Seattle Sounders (winner of Seattle Sounders vs. Real Salt Lake) | BC Place | Apple TV, TSN, RDS | | Mon, Nov 23 | 8 p.m. | St. Louis City vs. LAFC | Energizer Park | Apple TV, FS1, Fox Deportes, TSN, RDS | | Tue, Nov 24 | 10 p.m. | San Jose Earthquakes vs. Houston Dynamo | PayPal Park | Apple TV, FS1, Fox Deportes, TSN, RDS | ### Second‑Round Matchups | Date | Time (ET) | Match | Venue | Broadcast | |——|———–|——-|——-|———–| | Fri, Nov 27 | 8 p.m. | Columbus Crew vs. Inter Miami | Scott’s Miracle‑Gro Field | Apple TV | | Fri, Nov 27 | 10 p.m. | Seattle Sounders vs. Vancouver Whitecaps | Lumen Field or America First Field | Apple TV | | Sat, Nov 28 | 12:30 p.m. | Charlotte FC vs. Chicago Fire | Bank of America Stadium | Apple TV | | Sat, Nov 28 | 2:30 p.m. | Houston Dynamo vs. San Jose Earthquakes | Shell Energy Stadium | Apple TV | | Sat, Nov 28 | 4:30 p.m. | Philadelphia Union vs. New England Revolution | Subaru Park | Apple TV | | Sat, Nov 28 | 6:30 p.m. | Orlando City (winner of Orlando City vs. FC Cincinnati) vs. Nashville SC | Inter Co Stadium or TQL Stadium | Apple TV | | Sat, Nov 28 | 8:30 p.m. | LAFC vs. St. Louis City | BMO Stadium | Apple TV | | Sat, Nov 28 | 10:30 p.m. | Portland Timbers vs. FC Dallas | Providence Park | Apple TV | ### Third‑Round (If Needed) If any first‑round series requires a deciding game, the matches will be played on Wednesday, December 2, all at the higher‑seeded team’s home field. The games will be broadcast on Apple TV, with times to be announced. ### Conference Semifinals and Finals Conference Semifinals: Saturday, December 5 – Sunday, December 6 * Conference Finals: Friday, December 11 – Saturday, December 12 ### MLS Cup 2026 The MLS Cup final will be held on Friday, December 18, at 8 p.m. (or 9 p.m.) Eastern Time. The venue is not yet announced. The match will be streamed on Apple TV and broadcast on FOX, FOX Deportes, TSN, and RDS. All playoff games are available on Apple TV in more than 100 markets without geographic restrictions. Selected games will also air on FS1, FOX Deportes, TSN, and RDS, while the MLS Cup final will additionally be shown on FOX. ### Bracket Challenge Fans can participate in the MLS Bracket Challenge at mlssoccer.com/bracketchallenge. —