MLS Cup 2023 playoffs bracket: Teams, fixtures, results & complete guide

GOAL breaks down who's in the running to lift the MLS Cup on December 9.

As it stands, on October 18, seven of the nine teams in the Eastern Conference have been confirmed heading into the final game week. In the Western Conference, there have been six confirmations so far with the bottom three spots open for capture.

A total of 18 teams will vie for MLS Cup, with several booking their spots in the postseason at the last possible moment. But, as we all know, it's anyone's game at this time of year as everyone has a chance to lift MLS' ultimate prize.

Here's a closer look at the MLS playoff schedule, format and bracket as the quest for MLS Cup begins.

The MLS playoffs feature a total of 18 teams, seven from both the Eastern and Western Conferences directly qualify for Round One of the playoffs. While the bottom two of both conferences will play against each other in a single elimination Wild Card Playoff. Round One will be a best-of-three clash where Seed 1 will play Seed 8 and so on for the other seeds.

The winners of the Round One contest will advance to the Conference Semifinals, which will be a single-legged affair with the higher seed hosting the game. The same will be the format for the Conference Final and the MLS Cup Final.

Place

Eastern Conference

Western Conference

1

FC Cincinnati

St. Louis City

2

Orlando City

LAFC

3

Philadelphia Union

Seattle Sounders

4

Columbus Crew

Houston Dynamo

5

New England Revolution

Real Salt Lake

6

Atlanta United

Vancouver Whitecaps

7

Nashville FC

The MLS Cup final is scheduled for December 9.

Hosting rights will go to whichever team had the best regular season finish, with FC Cincinnati in the best spot to host after claiming the Supporters' Shield. As a result, the club would host the MLS Cup, should they make it