If there’s one thing about Decision Day in Major League Soccer, it’s that it will bring chaos and drama every single time.
A year after LAFC and LA Galaxy scoreboard-watched to find out which rival finished atop the Western Conference, Vancouver Whitecaps and San Diego FC nearly did the same thing—and the night ended with the San Jose Earthquakes watching Real Salt Lake’s final moments against St. Louis CITY SC on the big screen as their postseason hopes faded.
With all the action, it’s fair to say MLS’s regular season finale absolutely delivered this year.
Here are some of the most significant moments you may have missed.
Four Teams, Two Spots and Western Conference Chaos
The night began with four teams—the Colorado Rapids, FC Dallas, Real Salt Lake and the San Jose Earthquakes—all with a chance at claiming the final spots in the Western Conference.
Dallas had the most challenging task, missing star striker Petar Musa in an away visit to No. 1 Vancouver Whitecaps, who needed just a point to secure top of the west for the first time in club history.
No problem for Eric Quill’s team, especially after Whitecaps defender Mathías Laborda picked up a 10th-minute red card, giving the Texans an 80-minute man advantage, which they translated to a 2–1 win.
That was enough not only for Dallas to qualify, but to bypass the Wild Card game and settle into seventh to set up a first-round, best-of-three series against Vancouver.
locker room vibes were high 🔥 pic.twitter.com/SJcKeZ2zfl
— Real Salt Lake (@realsaltlake) October 19, 2025
Meanwhile, the Colorado Rapids couldn’t tame Son Heung-min and LAFC, crashing out of the postseason, and Real Salt Lake leaned on a Victor Olatunji brace for a 2–2 draw against St. Louis, securing their spot over the Earthquakes.
Capping off the chaos, San Diego FC thrashed the Portland Timbers 4–0, sending the expansion side past Vancouver to win the conference. Portland then must play the Wild Card match for the second straight season.
Lionel Messi Caps Off Record Season
Lionel Messi had a two-goal advantage in the MLS Golden Boot race entering Decision Day and went on to win it by five. The Argentine ended the year on 29 goals and 19 assists after scoring a hat trick and assisting in a 5–2 demolition of Nashville SC.
LAFC’s Denis Bouanga and Nashville’s Sam Surridge ended the year tied on 24 goals—the same number D.C. United’s Christian Benteke scored in 2024 to win the scoring title.
29 goals in 28 games. 🔥
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) October 19, 2025
Leo Messi racked up the goals to win the Golden Boot pres. by Audi. 🥇 pic.twitter.com/Ovzr0pc1Sh
Messi’s night saw him score his first penalty kick of the season, and complete his 10th multi-goal game, with a unique variance in the goals that he scored—and he could’ve finished a 30th, but opted to pass to Telasco Segovia, instead picking up an assist.
His output brought him to 48 total goal contributions on the season, one short of the record of 49 set by LAFC’s Carlos Vela in 2019.
Now, Messi and Miami keep their attention on MLS Cup as the third seed in the Eastern Conference, and will clash with the same Nashville side in the first round.
Anders Dreyer Completes San Diego’s Incredible Run
San Diego FC had already set the record for the most points by an MLS expansion team and became the second expansion side to win the Western Conference in the last three seasons after St. Louis CITY SC did the same in 2023.
Mikey Varas’s side didn’t have Mexican superstar Hirving “Chucky” Lozano, who was unavailable due to an “internal situation,” but still leaned on MLS MVP contender Anders Dreyer in the 4–0 win over Portland.
ANDERS DREYER!
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) October 19, 2025
18 goals, 19 assists. WHAT A SEASON. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/QmsN8fXEI7
Dreyer scored a brace and an assist, bringing him to 38 goal contributions in his first MLs season with 19 goals and 19 assists, only trailing Messi in offensive production. Yet 27 of his contributions came away from SnapDragon Stadium, setting the MLS record for the most goal contributions away from home.
By jumping into the top spot, San Diego now have a much easier pathway to MLS Cup, facing the Wild Card winner of Portland or Real Salt Lake in the first round before potentially meeting Minnesota United or the Seattle Sounders in Round 2. They wouldn’t clash with LAFC or Vancouver until a Western Conference final.
Legends Say Goodbye
The final matchday of the regular season also spelled an end to the careers of Atlanta United goalkeeper Brad Guzan and Columbus Crew midfielder Darlington Nagbe, who were both honored by their respective teams.
While Nagbe, 35, will get MLS Cup playoff matches, Saturday was his final regular-season match. It completed one of the most legendary MLS careers of all time, which saw the No. 2 pick from the 2011 MLS SuperDraft amass 445 regular-season games, scoring 38 goals and 48 assists, while leading both Portland and Columbus to MLS Cup titles.
All love for Darlington Nagbe after his last regular season game. 💛 pic.twitter.com/YErSxSp1Bt
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) October 19, 2025
Meanwhile, Guzan, 41, hangs up his gloves after becoming one of the most successful American goalkeepers of all time. He won MLS Cup with Atlanta United in 2018, but the best of his career came with the USMNT and in the Premier League, where he starred for Aston Villa.
Both veterans have plans moving forward, but it was no doubt an emotional one as they move on from their playing careers.
Hell is Real Meets MLS Cup Playoffs
The Hell is Real Derby between FC Cincinnati and Columbus Crew SC is one of the best in MLS, and after Decision Day’s results, it’s coming to the MLS Cup playoffs as a best-of-three, first-round series.
It will bring an energetic start to the playoffs this season, but it is far from the first time in recent years that rivalries have intertwined in the postseason. New York Red Bulls defeated New York City FC in a Hudson River Derby Eastern Conference semifinal, and the year before, the Hell is Real Derby foes clashed in the Eastern Conference final, which Columbus won on their way to MLS Cup.
The first round is always a unique and fun quirk in the MLS season, and bringing in the best rivalry will only elevate that.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Five Dramatic and Record-Setting Moments That Defined MLS Decision Day 2025 .
