A wildly entertaining MLS regular season came to a conclusion last weekend when the last two playoff spots were clinched on the final day of the campaign.

But that was just the entree. Now comes the main course in the form of the playoffs, which always seem to offer up several plot twists and few upsets every year.

Here’s what you need to know about the 2025 MLS Cup playoffs.

Playoff format

The top seven teams in each of the Eastern and Western Conferences clinched playoff berths, while the eighth and ninth seeds will face off in a one-game wild card on Wednesday.

The winners of both wild-card games move on to the first round, made up of best-of-three series (rather than single-elimination contests). In the best-of-three, no games can end in draws. If a match is tied at the end of reg

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