2024 MLS Cup playoffs

2024 MLS Cup playoffs

Tournament details
Country	United States Canada
Dates	October 22 – December 7
Teams	18
Defending champions	Columbus Crew
← 2023 2025 →

The 2024 MLS Cup playoffs (branded as the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs for sponsorship reasons) will be the post-season championship of Major League Soccer (MLS), the top soccer league in the United States and Canada. It will be the 29th edition of the MLS Cup playoffs, the tournament culminating at the end of the 2024 season. The playoffs will begin on October 22 and conclude with MLS Cup 2024 on December 7.^[1][2]

Similar to the 2023 edition, the playoffs will feature a field of eighteen teams—the top nine teams from each conference. The top seven teams in each conference automatically qualified for round one, while the eighth and ninth-placed teams in each conference will contest a single wild card match for the right to play the best-ranked team in their conference, with only a penalty shoot-out occurring if the game is tied. Round one will comprise a best-of-three format, with higher seeds playing against lower seeds. The round does not have the aggregate score kept, and tied matches proceed directly to a penalty shoot-out to determine the winner. The remaining three rounds — the conference semifinals, conference final, and MLS Cup — will be single-elimination matches played with extra time and a penalty shoot-out if still tied.^[1][3] The team with the better regular season record hosts the match in all rounds except for the best-of-three series in round one, where the lower seed hosts the second of three possible matches. All matches will be broadcast globally on MLS Season Pass, a streaming service operated by Apple.^[1]

The playoffs will be contested by eighteen teams. The date listed indicates when each team qualified for the playoffs.

The higher seeded teams will host single-elimination matches, with the MLS Cup host determined by overall points in the Supporters' Shield table. During the best-of-three round, the team with higher seed will host the first match and the third match if necessary.

Wild card single match

Round one best-of-three series

Conference semifinals single match

Conference finals single match

MLS Cup single match

E1

Inter Miami CF

E8

CF Montréal

E9

Atlanta United FC

E4

Orlando City SC

Eastern Conference

E5

Charlotte FC

E3

FC Cincinnati

E6

New York City FC

E2

Columbus Crew

E7

New York Red Bulls

W1

Los Angeles FC

W8

Vancouver Whitecaps FC

W9

Portland Timbers

W4

Seattle Sounders FC

Western Conference

W5

Houston Dynamo FC

W3

Real Salt Lake

W6

Minnesota United FC

W2

LA Galaxy

W7

Colorado Rapids

Team 1	Series	Team 2	Match 1	Match 2	Match 3
Eastern Conference
Inter Miami CF	--	TBD	--	--	--
Columbus Crew	--	New York Red Bulls	--	--	--
FC Cincinnati	--	New York City FC	--	--	--
Orlando City SC	--	Charlotte FC	--	--	--
Western Conference
Los Angeles FC	--	TBD	--	--	--
LA Galaxy	--	Colorado Rapids	--	--	--
Real Salt Lake	--	Minnesota United FC	--	--	--
Seattle Sounders FC	--	Houston Dynamo FC	--	--	--

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Team 1	Score	Team 2
Eastern Conference
TBD	--	TBD
TBD	--	TBD
Western Conference
TBD	--	TBD
TBD	--	TBD

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The higher-seeded team as determined by regular season ranking will host the match.^[1]

The highest-ranked finalist in the overall Supporters' Shield table will host the match.^[1]