For 2026, the top seven in each conference enter Round One and seeds eight and nine meet in a Wild Card match. All nine places count as playoff qualification here.
9 places
Eastern Conference
1Philadelphia Union74 pts0 remainingClinched by available mathCannot fall below this cutline on the supplied schedule.
2CF Montréal68 pts0 remainingClinched by available mathCannot fall below this cutline on the supplied schedule.
3New York City FC61 pts0 remainingClinched by available mathCannot fall below this cutline on the supplied schedule.
4New York Red Bulls53 pts0 remainingClinched by available mathCannot fall below this cutline on the supplied schedule.
5FC Cincinnati52 pts0 remainingClinched by available mathCannot fall below this cutline on the supplied schedule.
6Nashville SC50 pts0 remainingClinched by available mathCannot fall below this cutline on the supplied schedule.
7Orlando City48 pts0 remainingClinched by available mathCannot fall below this cutline on the supplied schedule.
8Inter Miami48 pts0 remainingClinched by available mathCannot fall below this cutline on the supplied schedule.
9Columbus Crew46 pts0 remainingClinched by available mathCannot fall below this cutline on the supplied schedule.
10New England Revolution42 pts0 remainingEliminated by available mathMaximum possible: 42 pts.
11Charlotte FC42 pts0 remainingEliminated by available mathMaximum possible: 42 pts.
12Atlanta United40 pts0 remainingEliminated by available mathMaximum possible: 40 pts.
9 places
Western Conference
1Los Angeles FC74 pts0 remainingClinched by available mathCannot fall below this cutline on the supplied schedule.
2Austin FC60 pts0 remainingClinched by available mathCannot fall below this cutline on the supplied schedule.
3FC Dallas54 pts0 remainingClinched by available mathCannot fall below this cutline on the supplied schedule.
4LA Galaxy53 pts0 remainingClinched by available mathCannot fall below this cutline on the supplied schedule.
5Minnesota United49 pts0 remainingClinched by available mathCannot fall below this cutline on the supplied schedule.
6Real Salt Lake48 pts0 remainingClinched by available mathCannot fall below this cutline on the supplied schedule.
7Portland Timbers46 pts0 remainingClinched by available mathCannot fall below this cutline on the supplied schedule.
8Colorado Rapids43 pts0 remainingClinched by available mathCannot fall below this cutline on the supplied schedule.
9Vancouver Whitecaps43 pts0 remainingClinched by available mathCannot fall below this cutline on the supplied schedule.
10Seattle Sounders41 pts0 remainingEliminated by available mathMaximum possible: 41 pts.
11Sporting Kansas City40 pts0 remainingEliminated by available mathMaximum possible: 40 pts.
12Houston Dynamo36 pts0 remainingEliminated by available mathMaximum possible: 36 pts.
How the line and tiebreakers work
MLS starts with total wins, then goal difference, goals scored and conference head-to-head measures, followed by disciplinary and home/away goal criteria. Points per game applies if clubs cannot complete equal schedules.
Cutline and guarantee math uses the current SportsDB table plus scheduled games remaining. Equal records still require the official tiebreaker; provider schedule gaps can change the estimate.
Competition profile
American Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer is the top-flight league in the United States and Canada. In 2026, its 30 clubs each play 34 regular-season matches; the top seven in each conference enter Round One of the MLS Cup Playoffs and seeds eight and nine meet in a Wild Card match.
Optional cookies and related technologies help us understand site traffic and see whether Reddit ads lead to Pick'em registrations. Declining does not affect site access.
Philadelphia Union
CF Montréal
New York City FC
New York Red Bulls
FC Cincinnati
Nashville SC
Orlando City
Inter Miami
Columbus Crew
New England Revolution
Charlotte FC
Atlanta United
Chicago Fire
Toronto FC
DC United
