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Major League Soccer could be overhauling the way it determines its annual MLS Cup champion as the league transitions to a new fall-to-spring schedule aligned with top European competitions.
While the revised calendar will mirror those of the world's elite leagues, MLS won't abandon its playoff structure to follow Europe's model. Instead, the road to the championship will be restructured, per The Guardian, which reports that as many as 20 teams could qualify for the MLS Cup playoffs each season, starting with the 2027–28 campaign.
According to the report, the new system would eliminate the current two-conference setup in favor of five six-team divisions and introduce re-seeding and double elimination, while boosting the proportion of teams reaching the postseason to over 66%.
When contacted by Sports Illustrated, MLS declined to verify the reports, but stated the league is "continuing to evaluate potential adjustments to its postseason format as part of a broader review of the league's shift to a new competition calendar, beginning with the 2027–28 season," adding, "This process remains ongoing and no determinations have been made at this time."
Here, Sports Illustrated breaks down what the new system could mean.
How Would the Bracket Work?
The reported new MLS Cup playoff format would see the top 20 teams from the regular season earn a spot in the postseason.
The regular season, however, would scrap the conference system in favor of five geographically structured divisions. Those divisions would carry no direct qualifying implications, serving primarily as the foundation for building an unbalanced schedule given the league's significant travel demands.
Eight of those 20 qualified clubs would compete in a play-in round, with four advancing to the round of 16. Teams ranked first through eighth would enter a double-elimination round, which could further reward regular-season performance, despite the expanded field effectively reducing the weight of the regular season.
In full, teams ranked 13–20 in the combined standings would open the playoffs in a play-in round, and the four winners would face teams ranked 9–12 in a secondary round. The top eight would then compete among themselves in Round One, with winners advancing to the quarterfinals and losers entering the double-elimination second round. Every round would be re-seeded so the highest remaining seed always faces the lowest and secures home advantage.
While no details were provided on the format of individual rounds, each is expected to be a single-game elimination, dropping the best-of-three series format without reverting to a two-leg competition.
How Does it Compare to Other Leagues?
The format would be largely unfamiliar to North American sports audiences, presenting a potentially confusing experience for U.S. fans unaccustomed to double-elimination. However, it closely resembles the format used in Australian rules football, which has long featured a double-chance bracket in the Australian Football League, while also sharing similarities with many curling competitions.
Yet, despite the AFL comparison, the proportion of playoff-qualifying teams is significantly higher than nearly every other major sports league worldwide. In the AFL, only eight of 18 teams (44%) advance to the postseason.
Among major men's professional leagues in North America, the NHL sends 50% of teams to the postseason, the NFL qualifies 44%, and MLB includes 53%. The NBA operates on a 16-team bracket but allows up to 20 teams to compete beyond the regular season through play-in rounds, matching MLS's reported 66%, though without double-elimination.
When Will the MLS Cup Be Awarded?
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At least one more MLS Cup will be handed out under the league's current format, which sees the top nine teams in each 15-team conference advance to the playoffs. The 2026 MLS Cup final is scheduled for Dec. 18, 2026, the latest date in the league's 31-year history for its championship match.
The 2027 MLS Cup, however, will be decided under a yet-to-be-confirmed playoff structure in spring 2027, following the conclusion of a 14-game MLS sprint season as the league adjusts for the full calendar transition.
According to the report, the 2028 MLS Cup, crowning the champion of the 2027–28 season, would be the first contested under the divisional and expanded double-elimination format, scheduled for May 21, 2028.