MLS Decision Day: How playoff bracket is shaping up on final day of 2024 season
The 2024 MLS season is hitting its apex, with Decision Day closing out the regular season and determining the playoff picture with a slate of 14 games on Saturday.
Lionel Messi and Inter Miami have already secured the top seed in the Eastern Conference, having clinched the Supporters Shield Oct. 2. In the Western Conference, the LA Galaxy — coming off of an abysmal 2023 season — need just one point to claim the No. 1 seed. However, the Galaxy face a difficult road game against the Houston Dynamo, while the only team that can catch them (city rivals LAFC) hosts the cellar-dwelling San Jose Earthquakes.
The biggest drama will come in the East, where four teams are vying for the final two playoff spots. D.C. United and CF Montréal both enter Saturday with 40 points, while the Philadelphia Union and Atlanta United trail them with 37 (Toronto FC is level with those sides, but in a 29-team league, they're the odd team out and have completed their regular season already). D.C. and Montréal both have home games, but if either were to lose, the door would be open for Philadelphia or Atlanta to dramatically snatch a playoff berth at the last moment.
Here's what you need to know for MLS Decision Day, and the bracket for the 2024 MLS playoffs.
MLS Decision Day schedule
All times Eastern. Home teams listed first.
Chicago Fire vs. Nashville SC — 6 p.m.
D.C. United vs. Charlotte FC — 6 p.m.
Inter Miami vs. New England Revolution — 6 p.m.
CF Montréal vs. New York City FC — 6 p.m.
New York Red Bulls vs. Columbus Crew — 6 p.m.
Orlando City vs. Atlanta United — 6 p.m.
Philadelphia Union vs. FC Cincinnati — 6 p.m.
Austin FC vs. Colorado Rapids — 9 p.m.
FC Dallas vs. Sporting Kansas City — 9 p.m.
Houston Dynamo vs. LA Galaxy — 9 p.m.
LAFC vs. San Jose Earthquakes — 9 p.m.
Minnesota United vs. St. Louis City SC — 9 p.m.
Real Salt Lake vs. Vancouver Whitecaps — 9 p.m.
Seattle Sounders vs. Portland Timbers — 9 p.m.
MLS news: Messi likely to come off bench as Inter Miami pursues points record
MLS playoff bracket 2024
Nine teams from each conference will qualify for the 2024 MLS playoffs. The structure includes a single-elimination wild card round, followed by the best-of-three Round 1. From there, the single-game format returns for the conference semifinals, conference finals, and MLS Cup (with the higher seed hosting).
Wild Card round
With the teams involved still up in the air, MLS has not finalized its playoff schedule. The Wild Card round will be played Oct. 22-23, with the No. 8 seed hosting the No. 9 seed in both conferences.
East No. 8 vs. East No. 9
West No. 8 vs. West No. 9
Round 1
MLS will announce dates and times for the first round of the playoffs at a later date. The higher-seeded team in each pairing will host Game 1 and (if necessary) Game 3. Game 2 will be hosted by the lower-seeded team. There will be no ties in this round, and no extra time; if scores are level after regulation play, the winner will be determined via penalty kicks.
Round One will begin Friday, Oct. 25 and run through Sunday, Nov. 10.
Eastern Conference
Inter Miami vs. East Wild Card round winner
Columbus Crew vs. East No. 7
FC Cincinnati vs. East No. 6
East No. 4 vs. East No. 5
In the East, the top three seeds are locked in. Orlando City, New York City FC, Charlotte FC, and the New York Red Bulls have all clinched playoff spots, but their seed will depend on Decision Day results.
Western Conference
West No. 1 vs. West Wild Card winner
West No. 2 vs. West No. 7
West No. 3 vs. West No. 6
West No. 4 vs. West No. 5
In the West, the nine playoff teams are set. However, seeding is entirely up in the air. The Galaxy and LAFC will occupy the top two spots, while the Seattle Sounders and Real Salt Lake are battling for the third and fourth seeds. The Houston Dynamo can finish in fifth or sixth, while the Colorado Rapids, Minnesota United, Vancouver Whitecaps, and Portland Timbers enter Decision Day separated by just four points.
Conference Semifinals
The MLS playoffs are broken up by a FIFA international window, when clubs are obliged to release players for national team duty. All four Conference Semifinal matches will take place Nov. 23-24, with pairings and times still to be determined.
East highest remaining seed vs. East lowest remaining seed
East second-highest remaining seed vs. East second-lowest remaining seed
West highest remaining seed vs. West lowest remaining seed
West second-highest remaining seed vs. West second-lowest remaining seed
Conference Finals
Both Conference finals will be played Nov. 30-Dec. 1, with the last two teams remaining in each conference squaring off at the higher-seeded side's stadium.
East highest remaining seed vs. East lowest remaining seed
West highest remaining seed vs. West lowest remaining seed
MLS Cup 2024
MLS Cup will feature the two conference champions in a single-game final, with the team with the best record getting to host the match. The match is set for Saturday, Dec. 7.
Eastern Conference champion vs. Western Conference champion
How to watch MLS Decision Day
All 14 games during MLS Decision Day will be broadcast exclusively on Apple TV as part of MLS Season Pass.
Fans trying to keep tabs on multiple games at once can also tune in for MLS 360, a live whip-around show that will jump to notable moments around the league as games are in progress.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: MLS Decision Day: Schedule, playoff bracket, how to watch
