The 2026 MLS regular season has come and gone, with 12 teams saying goodbye to their campaigns and 18 set to return to action after the November international break. The attention now turns to the MLS Cup playoffs, and it’s fair to say that there are quite a few intriguing match-ups.

In the East, Nashville SC await the winner of the wild-card match, which will pit Orlando City against FC Cincinnati, while defending champions Inter Miami will take on the most in-form team in MLS at the minute, Columbus Crew. New England Revolution will lock horns with Philadelphia Union in a battle of rising USMNT stars.

In the West, Seattle Sounders will host the wild card match against Real Salt Lake, with the winner set to face Vancouver Whitecaps. Meanwhile, San Jose Earthquakes will take on Houston Dynamo in the first round—a match no one can predict.

Here’s everything to know about the upcoming MLS Cup playoffs, including the full bracket and schedule.

2026 MLS Cup Playoffs: Bracket, Schedule

IT’S THE BEST TIME OF THE YEAR 🔥

The 2026 Audi MLS Cup Playoffs are LOCKED IN. 🔒 pic.twitter.com/SjSmqJXb2B

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) November 8, 2026

Following the wild card games on Nov. 19, the Round One best-of-three matchups will take place between Nov. 20 and Dec. 2, with the higher-ranked side hosting the first and third matches (if necessary).

The conference semifinals is set for Dec. 5. and Dec. 6, with the conference finals on Dec. 11 and Dec. 12. The highly anticipated MLS Cup final will take place on Dec. 18.

This will be the final MLS Cup playoffs played in winter, with the league switching to a fall-to-spring format in 2027 to better align with the European calendar. Ultimately, this will come down to which teams can prevail in the chilly conditions and which players will have ice in their veins.

2026 MLS Cup Playoffs: Key Matches

Inter Miami vs. Columbus Crew: The Unstoppable Force vs. the Immovable Object

Ever since Lionel Messi landed in South Florida, Inter Miami have won a major trophy: the Leagues Cup (2023), the Supporters’ Shield (2024) and the MLS Cup (2025). But if they are to continue that streak and achieve the first successful title defense since LA Galaxy in 2011–12, they’ll have to go through the hottest team in MLS first.

In just over two months, Columbus Crew have gone from sitting at the bottom of the East to finishing seventh. They've won six on the bounce (scoring 3+ in four of those), and there's every reason to believe that they can make life difficult for a Miami side that has struggled for consistency this year.

Inter Miami, meanwhile, are leaking goals at the moment. They’ve conceded at least two goals in five of their last 10 matches, and even when they looked destined for a comfortable 3–0 win on Decision Day, they conceded three straight goals to Charlotte FC. The Herons are struggling to convince at the back, and Columbus could punish their defensive frailties and come away with the upset win.

Chicago Fire vs. Charlotte FC: Lewandowski Firing, but Defense Remains Concern

OH MY BRAIS MÉNDEZ!

As it stands, @ColumbusCrew would avoid the Wildcard match with a win. 👀 pic.twitter.com/PCp4BwiqnH

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) November 7, 2026

Midway through the season, Chicago Fire made the decision to sell MLS top scorer Hugo Cuypers and acquire Robert Lewandowski. That move is starting to pay dividends: after six goalless matches, Lewandowski bagged a goal and an assist at Colorado Rapids before scoring two penalties vs. Columbus.

But it’s one thing to sign one of the greatest strikers of the 21st century. It’s another to back him up with a cohesive defensive unit. Chicago are struggling to find that balance, having failed to keep a clean sheet in their last eight matches and having conceded 10 goals in their last four.

Charlotte will be looking to build on their attacking momentum and exploit Chicago’s defensive frailties, having scored 11 goals in their last three outings. We're backing Charlotte to prevail in three and come away with their first-ever playoff series victory.

FC Cincinnati vs. Orlando City: Lions’ Away Struggles to Continue in Ohio?

Last year, Orlando City finished ninth in the Eastern Conference and lost 3–1 at Chicago in the wild card match. They find themselves in danger of repeating that fate this year, with the Lions set to face a resurgent Cincinnati side that has taken 10 points from their last five outings.

Despite bringing in Antoine Griezmann midway through the campaign, Orlando have failed to secure an automatic playoff berth due in large part to their underwhelming form on the road. They’ve won three, drawn four, and lost 10 away from home, conceding 3.29 goals per away match. The last time they traveled to Cincinnati, they lost 6–2.

There’s only so much that Griezmann can do to paper over the cracks.

FC Dallas vs. Portland Timbers: Can Musa Lead Dallas to Victory?

FC Dallas will be looking to brush past Portland Timbers and advance to the Western Conference semifinals, and they’ll be counting on Petar Musa to get the job done.

The Croatian forward has racked up 59 goals and 16 assists in 100 appearances, with only Lionel Messi scoring more MLS goals than him this season (26 vs. 22). Since joining from Benfica, Musa has found the back of the net in three of four meetings against Portland, while the most recent meeting saw him assist Jorge Valentie’s goal to seal the victory.

Dallas have won six of their last seven home meetings against Portland, and there’s reason to believe that they will continue that form and advance to the next round. While Portland are riding the momentum with four wins on the bounce, they don't have enough to keep Musa from finding the back of the net, and that may very well be the difference.

St. Louis CITY vs. LAFC: Can LAFC Shake Off Recent Struggles?

It has been an dramatic collapse for LAFC. After a disastrous run of form, LAFC sacked manager Marc Dos Santos on Sep. 27 and replaced him with Xavi Tamarit. But that hasn’t resulted in a turnaround in form, with the Black and Gold taking four points from four matches before losing to Minnesota and Seattle.

They’ll be traveling to St. Louis CITY, who are seeking their first playoff series win. After a historic unbeaten run and a momentous night that saw them win the U.S. Open Cup—the club’s first-ever trophy, St. Louis have tailed off with four defeats in a row before eventually securing a last-second win in Houston on Decision Day.

Unless LAFC can finally get attacking stars Denis Bouanga and Son Heung-min going, St. Louis should be capable of prevailing. They’ll be riding high on confidence, having won their last encounter with LAFC.

This article was originally published on www.si.com as 2026 MLS Cup Playoffs: Bracket, Schedule, Key Matches and Route to Glory.