​Round One Best-of-3 Series format & key info: Audi 2026 MLS Cup PlayoffsBy MLSsoccer staffAfter the Wild Card games are decided, the Audi 2026 MLS Cup Playoffs will continue with eight Round One Best-of-3 Series.The Round One Best-of-3 Series span from Saturday, November 21 to Wednesday, December 2. Apple TV will broadcast every match.⚽ 🏆 Think You’ve Got the Winning Bracket?!
The Audi 2026 MLS Cup Playoffs Bracket Challenge is now open. Make your picks, build your bracket, and compete for your chance to win.Play NowWho plays?The top seven teams from each conference automatically qualified for the Round One Best-of-3 Series, followed by the Wild Card match winners.All 16 teams participating in Round One get at least one home game in the series. The first team to win two matches advances. Four teams from each conference will advance to the Conference Semifinals.Eastern Conference Round One Best-of-3 SeriesNo. 1 Nashville SC vs. Wild Card winner (No. 8 Orlando City or No. 9 FC Cincinnati)No. 2 Inter Miami CF vs. No. 7 Columbus CrewNo. 3 New England Revolution vs. No. 6 Philadelphia UnionNo. 4 Chicago Fire FC vs. No. 5 Charlotte FCWestern Conference Round One Best-of-3 SeriesNo. 1 Vancouver Whitecaps FC vs. Wild Card winner (No. 8 Seattle Sounders FC or No. 9 Real Salt Lake)No. 2 FC Dallas vs. No. 7 Portland TimbersNo. 3 St. Louis CITY SC vs. No. 6 LAFCNo. 4 San Jose Earthquakes vs. No. 5 Houston Dynamo FCHow does it work?Home-away-home formatGame 1: higher seed hostsGame 2: lower seed hostsGame 3 (if necessary): higher seed hostsWin-only: Every Round One game will have a winner; no ties, no aggregate score.PK shootout: If a match is tied after regulation time (90 minutes), no extra time will be played. Teams will participate in kicks from the penalty spot to determine the winner.Best-of-3: The first team to win two matches will advance. Conversely, the loser’s playoff journey will end.What’s next?The winner of each Round One Best-of-3 Series advances to the Conference Semifinals, which will be held December 5-6.If a Conference Semifinal game is tied after regulation time (90 minutes), two 15-minute extra time periods will be played in their entirety. If the score is still tied after two extra time periods, a winner will be determined via a penalty kick shootout.Eastern Conference SemifinalsWinner of No. 1 vs. No. 8 series vs. winner of No. 4 vs. No. 5 seriesWinner of No. 3 vs. No. 6 series vs. winner of No. 2 vs. No. 7 seriesWestern Conference SemifinalsWinner of No. 1 vs. No. 8 series vs. winner of No. 4 vs. No. 5 seriesWinner of No. 3 vs. No. 6 series vs. winner of No. 2 vs. No. 7 seriesWhen is MLS Cup?Date: MLS Cup presented by Audi is set for December 18.Hosting: Hosting rights are awarded to the finalist with the better regular-season record. If both finalists have the same number of regular-season points, the team with more wins – or, if they’re tied in that category, better goal difference – will host MLS Cup.