The 2025 Major League Soccer season is winding down, and Matchday 37 began to bring some clarity to what this year’s MLS Cup Playoffs might look like.
Philadelphia Union put themselves in control of their own destiny in the Supporters’ Shield race with a 6–0 win over D.C. United, and the New York Red Bulls’ loss to New York City FC likely doomed their hopes of extending their playoff streak to 16 consecutive seasons.
Overall, results allowed five more teams to clinch spots in the postseason through the latest round of action, making 13 of 18 spots claimed heading into the final three weeks of the season.
While some teams have games in hand and condensed schedules ahead of Decision Day on Oct. 18, here’s how the first round best-of-three series to start the MLS Cup Playoffs would look if they began today.
MLS Cup Playoff Picture: Eastern Conference
- (1) *Philadelphia Union vs. Wild Card Winner
- (2) *FC Cincinnati vs. (7) *Orlando City
- (3) *New York City FC vs. (6) *Nashville SC
- (4) *Inter Miami vs. (5) *Charlotte FC
- Eastern Conference Wild Card Game: (8) *Columbus Crew vs. (9) Chicago Fire
*Clinched Playoffs
The Red Bulls are five points off Chicago for the final playoff spot, though Chicago have a game in hand as well. If Gregg Berhalter and co. win that game, the point gap would be insurmountable. They need massive help, but for now it looks like these nine teams will qualify. How the final seeding breaks down could change with Miami having two games in hand with those above them, but New York need a miracle to qualify.
MLS Cup Playoff Picture: Western Conference
- (1) *San Diego FC vs. Wild Card Winner
- (2) *Vancouver Whitecaps vs. (7) Portland Timbers
- (3) *Minnesota United vs. (6) Austin FC
- (4) *LAFC vs. (5) *Seattle Sounders
-
Western Conference Wild Card Game: (8) Colorado Rapids vs. (9) San Jose Earthquakes
*Clinched Playoffs
FC Dallas, Real Salt Lake and the Houston Dynamo are hoping to make a last-minute push into the playoffs with just two points separating San Jose in ninth and Houston in 12th. There could be a big shakeup in the final games of the season altering prospective paths to the MLS Cup for Western Conference sides.
Both Dallas and Salt Lake have a game in hand on Colorado and San Jose making the western half of MLS hard to predict.
When are the 2025 MLS Cup Playoffs?
The 2025 MLS Cup Playoffs kick-off with Wild Card matches on Oct. 22, before the first-round best-of-three series running from Oct. 24 to Nov. 9.
Teams that advance will then break for the November international window, before single-elimination conference semifinal games on either Nov. 22 or Nov. 23.
Both the Eastern Conference and Western Conference finals will take place on either Nov. 29 or Nov. 30, with teams aiming to hoist the MLS Cup on Dec. 6.
READ THE LATEST MLS NEWS, TRANSFER RUMORS AND GOSSIP
This article was originally published on www.si.com as MLS Playoff Picture: What the 2025 MLS Cup Playoffs Look Like if They Started Today.
