The 2025 MLS Cup playoffs are nearly here, and the schedule for the first portions of the postseason has been confirmed by the league on Sunday afternoon.

The postseason consists of five rounds, starting with the single-knockout Wild Card games between the eighth and ninth seeds in the Eastern and Western Conferences. The winners of those games advance to participate in the 16-team bracket, which begins with the first round best-of-three series, unlike any other league in the world.

Following the best-of-three series, advancing teams take on their Conference Semifinals, before moving on to the Conference Finals and finally MLS Cup, which will be held Dec. 6 at the home of the team with the better record in the 2025 MLS regular season.

Here is the schedule for the first round and Wild Card series, as confirmed by MLS, its clubs and the primary broadcaster, MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.

Wild Card Matches

MLS Cup Playoffs Wild Card
Kristofffer Velde (left), Diego Luna (center left), Phillip Zinckernagel (center right) and Martín Ojeda (right) look to lea their teams past the MLS Cup playoff Wild Card round. | Soobum Im/Getty Images, Bryan Byerly/ISI Photos/Getty Images, Harry Figiel/ISI Photos/Getty Images, Dustin Markland/Getty Images

Eastern Conference Wild Card: Chicago Fire FC vs. Orlando City SC

  • Location: Bridgeview, Illinois
  • Stadium: SeatGeek Stadium
  • Date: Wednesday, Oct. 22
  • Kick-Off Time: 7:30 p.m. ET / 4:30 p.m. PT

The eighth-place Chicago Fire return to the MLS Cup playoffs for the first time since 2017 and host the Wild Card game against an Orlando City SC side that captured just one win in its final seven games.

Western Conference Wild Card: Portland Timbers vs. Real Salt Lake

  • Location: Portland, Oregon
  • Stadium: Providence Park
  • Date: Wednesday, Oct. 22
  • Kick-Off Time: 10:30 p.m. ET / 7:30 p.m. PT

The Portland Timbers lost 4–0 to top-seed San Diego FC on Decision Day, but will hope to pass Real Salt Lake and set up another clash with the record-setting expansion side in the first round of the MLS Cup playoffs.

Eastern Conference Round One Best-of-Three Series

Philadelphia Union
The Philadelphia Union won the Supporters' Shield and will have home advantage through to MLS Cup. | Isaiah Vazquez/Getty Images

(1) Philadelphia Union vs. (8/9) Chicago Fire FC or Orlando City SC

  • Game 1: Sunday, Oct. 26 | 5:30 p.m. ET / 2:30 p.m. PT (Subaru Park - Philadelphia, PA)
  • Game 2: Saturday, Nov. 1 | 5:30 p.m. ET / 2:30 p.m. PT (SeatGeek Stadium or Inter&Co Stadium)
  • Game 3: Saturday, Nov. 8 | TBD (Subaru Park - Philadelphia, PA)

The Philadelphia Union captured the 2025 MLS Supporters’ Shield. They will look to avoid the disaster suffered by 2024 winners Inter Miami, who fell to ninth-seeded Atlanta United in the first round.

(2) FC Cincinnati vs. (7) Columbus Crew SC

  • Game 1: Monday, Oct. 27 | 6:45 p.m. ET/ 3:45 p.m. PT (TQL Stadium - Cincinnati, OH)
  • Game 2: Sunday, Nov. 2 | 6:30 p.m. ET / 3:30 p.m. PT (Lower.com Field - Columbus, OH )
  • Game 3: Saturday, Nov. 8 | TBD (TQL Stadium - Cincinnati, OH)

The Hell is Real derby comes to the MLS Cup playoffs for the second time in three seasons. Will the struggling Columbus Crew be able to tackle Evander, Kévin Denkey and FC Cincinnati? It should be a feisty series.

(3) Inter Miami CF vs. (6) Nashville SC

  • Game 1: Friday, Oct. 24 | 8:00 p.m. ET / 5:00 p.m. PT (Chase Stadium - Fort Lauderdale, Fla.)
  • Game 2: Saturday, Nov. 1 | 7:30 p.m. ET / 4:30 p.m. PT (GEODIS Park - Nashville, Tenn.)
  • Game 3: Saturday, Nov. 8 | TBD (Chase Stadium - Fort Lauderdale, Fla.)

Inter Miami will hope to win an MLS Cup playoff series for the first time after falling out of the first round last season. Lionel Messi will look to extend his record-setting season as well, with his longtime teammates Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba set to retire whenever Miami’s season ends.

(4) Charlotte FC vs. (5) New York City FC

  • Game 1: Tues. Oct. 28 | 6:45 p.m. ET / 3:45 p.m. PT (Bank of America Stadium - Charlotte, NC)
  • Game 2: Saturday, Nov. 1 | 3:30 p.m. ET/ 12:30 p.m. PT (Yankee Stadium - New York City, NY)
  • Game 3: Friday, Nov. 7 | TBD (Bank of America Stadium - Charlotte, NC)

Charlotte FC star Wilfried Zaha scored 10 goals and 10 assists in his first MLS season, but will miss Game 1 after picking up a red card on Decision Day. New York City FC, meanwhile, looks for a second MLS Cup after winning in 2021.

Western Conference Round One Best-of-Three Series

Thomas Müller
Thomas Müller will look to extend his record as the most decorated German player of all time with the MLS Cup. | Elizabeth Ruiz/Getty Images

(1) San Diego FC FC vs. (8/9) Portland or Salt Lake

  • Game 1: Sunday, Oct. 26 | 9:30 p.m. ET / 6:30 p.m. PT (Snapdragon Stadium - San Diego, CA)
  • Game 2: Saturday, Nov. 1 | 9:30 p.m. ET / 6:30 p.m. PT (Providence Park or America First Field)
  • Game 3: Sunday, Nov. 9 | TBD (Snapdragon Stadium - San Diego, CA)

San Diego FC are the most successful MLS expansion team of all time and topped the Western Conference after a 4–0 win over the Portland Timbers. With MLS MVP contender Anders Dreyer, they will be heavy favorites to sweep the first round series.

(2) Vancouver Whitecaps FC vs. (7) FC Dallas

  • Game 1: Sunday, Oct. 26 | 7:30 p.m. ET / 4:30 p.m. PT (BC Place - Vancouver, BC)
  • Game 2: Saturday, Nov. 1 | 9:30 p.m. ET / 6:30 p.m. PT (Toyota Stadium - Frisco, TX)
  • Game 3: Friday, Nov. 7 | TBD (BC Place - Vancouver, BC)

Vancouver Whitecaps FC will look to German superstar Thomas Müller and Scottish international Ryan Gauld to lead them past the first round of the MLS Cup playoffs for the first time.

At the same time, FC Dallas will hope to beat Vancouver two more times after winning 2–1 on Decision Day without star striker Petar Musa or starting goalkeeper Maarten Paes.

(3) LAFC vs. (6) Austin FC

  • Game 1: Wednesday, Oct. 29 | 10:30 p.m. ET / 7:30 p.m. PT (BMO Stadium - Los Angeles, CA)
  • Game 2: Sunday, Nov. 2 | 8:30 p.m. ET / 5:30 p.m. PT (Q2 Stadium)
  • Game 3: Saturday, Nov. 8 | TBD (BMO Stadium)

LAFC enter the MLS Cup playoffs as genuine contenders after signing Son Heung-min from Tottenham Hotspur in the summer. The South Korean has linked up with Denis Bouanga since arriving and already has nine goals and three assists in 10 games. The Black and Gold will look to get the better of an Austin FC side backstopped by MLS All-Star goalkeeper Brad Stuver.

(4) Minnesota United FC vs. (5) Seattle Sounders FC

  • Game 1: Monday, Oct. 27 | 9:00 p.m. ET / 6:00 p.m. PT (Allianz Field - Minneapolis, MN)
  • Game 2: Monday, Nov. 3 | 10:30 p.m. ET / 7:30 p.m. PT (Lumen Field - Seattle, WA)
  • Game 3: Saturday, Nov. 8 | TBD (Allianz Field - Minneapolis, MN)

Minnesota United had an outstanding start to the season, but slowed down in the second half after selling leading striker Tani Oluwaseyi to La Liga’s Villarreal. Still, they rely on his Canadian international teammate and MLS Goalkeeper of the Year candidate Dayne St. Clair between the sticks.

Seattle, meanwhile, have young Mexican starlet Obed Vargas and USMNT midfielder Cristian Roldan, who helped them win the 2025 Leagues Cup.

READ THE LATEST MLS NEWS, TRANSFER RUMORS AND GOSSIP


This article was originally published on www.si.com as MLS Cup Playoffs: First Round, Wild Card Schedules Confirmed.