MLS Playoff Schedule: Conference Finals and Road to MLS Cup

The MLS Cup Playoffs are in full swing, with the conference finals set to determine the teams that will compete for the MLS Cup. The playoffs began on October 23 with the wild card round, followed by the first round from October 25 to November 10, which consisted of best-of-three series matches. In this round, the first-place team in each conference played the wild card winner, while the second-place team faced the seventh, the third faced the sixth, and the fourth faced the fifth. The top seed in each pairing had the advantage of hosting the first and, if necessary, the third matches at home.

The conference semifinals took place on November 23-24, featuring single-elimination matches hosted by the better regular season side. The Eastern Conference semifinals included matches such as New York City FC vs. New York Red Bulls, held at Yankee Stadium on November 23.

The conference finals are scheduled for November 30-December 1, also in a single-elimination format at the better regular season side’s home. The winners of these matches will advance to the MLS Cup Finals, which will be a two-legged, home-and-away series on December 7.

Inter Miami, led by Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez, is a strong contender after securing the Supporters’ Shield. Messi has contributed 27 goals despite missing time due to injury, while Suarez has 25 goal contributions. Coach Gerardo 'Tata' Martino is aiming to become the seventh coach to win multiple MLS Cups and the fourth to achieve this with different teams.