MLS Cup Playoffs 2026: dates, format and markets
Dates, format and tiebreak rules for the 2026 MLS Cup Playoffs, where the race stands, and how MLS Cup, conference and match contracts settle.
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The short answer
The Audi 2026 MLS Cup Playoffs begin with the Wild Card matches on Wednesday, November 18 and end with MLS Cup on Friday, December 18. Eighteen clubs qualify, nine from each conference, and the field is set on Decision Day, Saturday, November 7. Prediction markets list contracts on the MLS Cup winner, the two conference champions and each match. A price is traders' collective view, not a forecast or a result, and you can lose the amount you put in.
Kalshi · Trade $25 and Get $25!
SOCPREDICTS
Certain limitations apply. The offer is available to new users only, subject to the terms and conditions at kalshi.com/tc/500. 18+ only. Restrictions and eligibility requirements apply. Event contract trading involves significant risk and is not appropriate for everyone. Please carefully consider if it is appropriate for you in light of your personal financial circumstances. Kalshi products are not available in all jurisdictions. See kalshi.com/regulatory for more information.
Last checked October 14, 2026
Trade this on Kalshi
Kalshi lists an MLS Cup champion market and match markets for MLS games. New users: Trade $25 and Get $25 with code SOCPREDICTS.
Certain limitations apply. The offer is available to new users only, subject to the terms and conditions at kalshi.com/tc/500. 18+ only. Restrictions and eligibility requirements apply. Event contract trading involves significant risk and is not appropriate for everyone. Please carefully consider if it is appropriate for you in light of your personal financial circumstances. Kalshi products are not available in all jurisdictions. See kalshi.com/regulatory for more information.
Where things stand
- Season stage: most clubs have played 27 of their 34 regular-season matches. Play resumes after the international break with Matchday 29 on October 10 and 11.
- Clinched: Nashville SC is the only club that has clinched a playoff place so far.
- Eastern Conference, top nine: Nashville SC (60 points), New England Revolution (46), Inter Miami CF (46), Chicago Fire FC (45), Charlotte FC (43), Philadelphia Union (39), Orlando City (34), Red Bull New York (33) and New York City FC (33). FC Cincinnati is level on 33 points in tenth place with a match in hand.
- Western Conference, top nine: Vancouver Whitecaps FC (50 points), St. Louis CITY SC (47), FC Dallas (47), San Jose Earthquakes (45), Houston Dynamo FC (44), LAFC (41), Seattle Sounders FC (38), Colorado Rapids (36) and LA Galaxy (36). Portland Timbers, Real Salt Lake and San Diego FC are next on 32 points.
- Bracket: not set yet. Seeds are final after Decision Day on November 7, and MLS says the full bracket and broadcast details will be announced once they are finalized.
- Kalshi listings: a match winner market with three outcomes (home, away, tie) on each upcoming MLS match, plus spread, total goals, both teams to score, correct score, first-half winner and team total markets. Season-long markets: MLS Cup Champion, Eastern Conference Champion, Western Conference Champion and MLS Golden Boot.
- Polymarket US listings: a three-way match winner market on this weekend's MLS matches, Major League Soccer Champion (the MLS Cup winner), MLS Eastern Conference Champion and MLS Western Conference Champion.
- ProphetX: check the app for current listings.
- Playoff match markets: none can be listed until the pairings are known. Kalshi has a "To Advance" market type for MLS, and no market of that type is open today.
- Access: availability varies by state. See where you can trade in the US.
Last checked: October 9, 2026
2026 MLS Cup Playoffs schedule
| Date | What happens | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Saturday, November 7, 2026 | Decision Day | Final regular-season matchday. Eastern Conference matches start at 4:00 p.m. ET and Western Conference matches at 7:00 p.m. ET |
| Wednesday, November 18, 2026 | Wild Card matches | No. 8 against No. 9 in each conference, one match, hosted by the higher seed |
| Friday, November 20 to Wednesday, December 2, 2026 | Round One | Best-of-3 series. The first club to win two matches advances |
| Saturday, December 5 and Sunday, December 6, 2026 | Conference Semifinals | Single matches, hosted by the higher seed |
| Friday, December 11 and Saturday, December 12, 2026 | Conference Finals | Single matches, hosted by the higher seed |
| Friday, December 18, 2026 | MLS Cup | One match, hosted by the finalist with the better regular-season record |
Dates come from Major League Soccer's key dates and schedule information. MLS says the dates are subject to change.
Round One match windows
- Game 1: Friday, November 20 to Tuesday, November 24. The higher seed hosts.
- Game 2: Friday, November 27 and Saturday, November 28. The lower seed hosts.
- Game 3, if needed: Tuesday, December 1 and Wednesday, December 2. The higher seed hosts.
The playoffs follow the November FIFA international window, which is why there are 11 days between Decision Day and the Wild Card matches. MLS says this is the last MLS Cup to be played in December before the league moves to a summer-to-spring calendar.
How does the MLS playoff format work?
- Who qualifies: the top nine clubs in the Eastern Conference and the top nine in the Western Conference, 18 in total. All 30 clubs play 34 regular-season matches.
- Wild Card: No. 8 hosts No. 9 in each conference in a single match. The winner plays its conference's No. 1 seed in Round One.
- Round One: a best-of-3 series with no aggregate score. Every match has a winner, and the first club to win two matches advances. The pairings are No. 1 against the Wild Card winner, No. 2 against No. 7, No. 3 against No. 6 and No. 4 against No. 5.
- Conference Semifinals: single matches hosted by the higher seed. The winner of the No. 1 series plays the winner of the 4 against 5 series, and the winner of the 2 against 7 series plays the winner of the 3 against 6 series.
- Conference Finals: one match in each conference, hosted by the higher seed.
- MLS Cup: the Eastern Conference champion plays the Western Conference champion. The finalist with the better regular-season record hosts.
The format is set out in Major League Soccer's format guide.
Do MLS playoff matches go to extra time or penalties?
It depends on the round.
- Wild Card and Round One: there is no extra time. If a match is level at the end of regulation, it goes straight to a penalty shootout.
- Conference Semifinals, Conference Finals and MLS Cup: a level match goes to two 15-minute periods of extra time, played in full. If it is still level, a penalty shootout decides it.
What do prediction markets list for the MLS playoffs?
- MLS Cup winner: one contract per club. It pays $1 if that club wins MLS Cup and nothing if it does not.
- Conference champions: one contract per club in each conference.
- Match winner: a three-way market on each match. Playoff matches are added once the pairings are known.
We did not find a "to make the playoffs" market or a Round One series market on Kalshi or Polymarket US today. Which exchange lists which market changes from week to week, so check the app. We do not quote prices on this page because they change by the minute. The live MLS prices are on our MLS odds and predictions page.
How the playoff markets settle
- MLS Cup winner: Kalshi's contract resolves to Yes if the club is the 2026 MLS Cup champion. Polymarket US's contract asks whether the club will win the 2026 MLS Cup, and its rules say it settles to $0 once the club is eliminated.
- Conference champion: Kalshi's rules refer to the conference champion in the MLS playoffs. Polymarket US's contract settles to Yes if the club wins its Conference Final. Finishing first in the regular-season table does not settle these contracts.
- Match winner: on the MLS matches listed today, Kalshi and Polymarket US both settle on the score after 90 minutes plus stoppage time, and a level match settles as a tie. Kalshi's rules say this does not include extra time or penalties.
That last rule matters in the playoffs. If a playoff match market uses the same wording, a match that is level after regulation settles as a tie, even though one club then wins on penalties or in extra time. Read the rules on each playoff market when it is listed, and leave a contract alone if the wording is unclear to you.
How to watch the MLS Cup Playoffs
MLS says every playoff match is live on Apple TV with English and Spanish commentary. Select matches, including MLS Cup, are also on FOX and FOX Deportes in the United States and on TSN and RDS in Canada.
Where can US fans trade the MLS playoffs?
For sports, start with ProphetX, then Kalshi, then Polymarket US. Kalshi's and Polymarket US's minimum age is 18, and ProphetX's is 18 or the local age of majority; we recommend 21+.
| Platform | What it is | Access notes |
|---|---|---|
| ProphetX | A CFTC-designated contract market for sports | Not available in Nevada |
| Kalshi | A CFTC-designated contract market with sports, politics and other categories | Sports contracts are blocked by court order in Nevada, Michigan and Washington |
| Polymarket US | A CFTC-designated exchange that US residents use through an app | Availability varies by state |
Availability varies by state and can change with court rulings. Our US page explains where you can trade, and the platform comparison lists the eligible states for each sign-up offer. Confirm the market in the app before you do anything else.
Sources
- Major League Soccer, Audi 2026 MLS Cup Playoffs: Key dates & schedule information, checked October 9, 2026.
- Major League Soccer, Audi 2026 MLS Cup Playoffs: Format & how it works, checked October 9, 2026.
- Major League Soccer, Major League Soccer announces Audi 2026 MLS Cup Playoffs schedule, checked October 9, 2026.
- Major League Soccer, 2026 standings, checked October 9, 2026.
- Major League Soccer, Nashville SC tracker: Supporters' Shield and MLS points record, checked October 9, 2026.
- Kalshi market data and market rules for the MLS markets, checked October 9, 2026.
- Polymarket US market data and market rules for the MLS markets, checked October 9, 2026.
Frequently asked questions
When do the 2026 MLS playoffs start?
The Wild Card matches are on Wednesday, November 18, 2026. Round One starts on Friday, November 20 and runs to Wednesday, December 2.
When is MLS Cup 2026?
MLS Cup is on Friday, December 18, 2026. It is hosted by the finalist with the better regular-season record, so the venue is not known until the Conference Finals are over.
How many teams make the MLS playoffs?
Eighteen clubs qualify: the top nine in the Eastern Conference and the top nine in the Western Conference. Seeds 1 to 7 go straight to Round One, and No. 8 hosts No. 9 in a Wild Card match.
How does the best-of-3 Round One work?
The higher seed hosts Game 1, the lower seed hosts Game 2 and the higher seed hosts Game 3 if it is needed. There is no aggregate score. The first club to win two matches advances.
Do MLS playoff matches go to penalties?
Wild Card and Round One matches that are level after regulation go straight to a penalty shootout, with no extra time. The Conference Semifinals, Conference Finals and MLS Cup have two 15-minute periods of extra time first, then penalties.
How can I watch the MLS Cup Playoffs?
MLS says every playoff match is live on Apple TV. Select matches, including MLS Cup, are also on FOX and FOX Deportes in the United States and on TSN and RDS in Canada.
Where can I trade MLS playoff markets in the US?
ProphetX, Kalshi and the Polymarket US app are the platforms we cover, in that order for sports. Availability varies by state. Our US page explains where you can trade.
21+ · T&Cs apply · Terms
Certain limitations apply. The offer is available to new users only, subject to the terms and conditions at kalshi.com/tc/500. 18+ only. Restrictions and eligibility requirements apply. Event contract trading involves significant risk and is not appropriate for everyone. Please carefully consider if it is appropriate for you in light of your personal financial circumstances. Kalshi products are not available in all jurisdictions. See kalshi.com/regulatory for more information.
