2024 MLS Cup playoffs
Tournament details | |
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Country | United States Canada |
Dates | October 22 – December 7 |
Teams | 18 |
Defending champions | Columbus Crew |
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]
Format
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]
Qualified teams
The playoffs will be contested by eighteen teams. The date listed indicates when each team qualified for the playoffs.
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Conference standings
Eastern Conference
Source: MLS
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Western Conference
Source: MLS
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Bracket
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 |
Wild card round
Eastern Conference
Western Conference
Round one
Team 1 | Series | Team 2 | Match 1 | Match 2 | Match 3 |
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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 | -- | -- | -- |
Eastern Conference
TBD | v | Inter Miami CF |
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New York City FC | v | FC Cincinnati |
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Western Conference
TBD | v | Los Angeles FC |
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Conference semifinals
Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
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Eastern Conference | ||
TBD | -- | TBD |
TBD | -- | TBD |
Western Conference | ||
TBD | -- | TBD |
TBD | -- | TBD |
Eastern Conference
TBD | v | TBD |
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TBD | v | TBD |
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Western Conference
TBD | v | TBD |
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TBD | v | TBD |
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Conference finals
The higher-seeded team as determined by regular season ranking will host the match.[1]
Eastern Conference
TBD | v | TBD |
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Western Conference
TBD | v | TBD |
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MLS Cup 2024
The highest-ranked finalist in the overall Supporters' Shield table will host the match.[1]
TBD | v | TBD |
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Notes
References
- ^ a b c d e "MLS announces new playoff format for 2023 season". Major League Soccer. February 21, 2023. Retrieved September 17, 2023.
- ^ mlssoccer. "Inter Miami begin Audi 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs path with standalone match | MLSSoccer.com". mlssoccer. Retrieved October 19, 2024.
- ^ "MLS adds best-of-3 series to expanded playoffs for 2023 season". ESPN. February 21, 2023. Retrieved September 17, 2023.
- ^ "Atlanta United clinch Audi 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs spot". Major League Soccer. October 19, 2024. Retrieved October 19, 2024.
- ^ "Charlotte FC clinch Audi 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs spot". Major League Soccer. October 2, 2024. Retrieved October 2, 2024.
- ^ "FC Cincinnati clinch Audi 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs spot". Major League Soccer. September 14, 2024. Retrieved September 14, 2024.
- ^ "Columbus Crew clinch Audi 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs spot". Major League Soccer. September 14, 2024. Retrieved September 14, 2024.
- ^ "Inter Miami clinch Audi 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs spot". Major League Soccer. August 24, 2024. Retrieved August 24, 2024.
- ^ "CF Montréal clinch Audi 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs spot". Major League Soccer. October 19, 2024. Retrieved October 19, 2024.
- ^ "New York City FC clinch Audi 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs spot". Major League Soccer. September 28, 2024. Retrieved September 28, 2024.
- ^ "New York Red Bulls clinch Audi 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs spot". Major League Soccer. September 28, 2024. Retrieved September 28, 2024.
- ^ "Orlando City clinch Audi 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs spot". Major League Soccer. September 28, 2024. Retrieved September 28, 2024.
- ^ "Colorado Rapids clinch Audi 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs spot". Major League Soccer. September 21, 2024. Retrieved September 21, 2024.
- ^ "Houston Dynamo clinch Audi 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs spot". Major League Soccer. September 28, 2024. Retrieved September 28, 2024.
- ^ "LA Galaxy clinch Audi 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs spot". Major League Soccer. September 14, 2024. Retrieved September 14, 2024.
- ^ "LAFC clinch Audi 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs spot". Major League Soccer. September 28, 2024. Retrieved September 28, 2024.
- ^ "Minnesota United clinch Audi 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs spot". Major League Soccer. October 2, 2024. Retrieved October 2, 2024.
- ^ "Portland Timbers clinch Audi 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs spot". Major League Soccer. October 6, 2024. Retrieved October 6, 2024.
- ^ "Real Salt Lake clinch Audi 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs spot". Major League Soccer. September 21, 2024. Retrieved September 21, 2024.
- ^ "Seattle Sounders clinch Audi 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs spot". Major League Soccer. September 28, 2024. Retrieved September 28, 2024.
- ^ "Vancouver Whitecaps clinch Audi 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs spot". Major League Soccer. September 28, 2024. Retrieved September 29, 2024.
- ^ "Whitecaps FC to open 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs versus Portland Timbers". Vancouver Whitecaps FC. October 19, 2024. Retrieved October 19, 2024.