Overview
- Wild Card single-elimination games on Oct. 22 feature Portland Timbers vs. Real Salt Lake and Orlando City vs. Chicago Fire.
- The first round is a best-of-three series from Oct. 24 to Nov. 9, followed by single-match conference semifinals on Nov. 22–23 and finals on Nov. 29–30, with MLS Cup on Dec. 6 hosted by the higher seed.
- Eastern Conference pairings are Philadelphia Union vs. the Orlando/Chicago winner, FC Cincinnati vs. Columbus Crew, Inter Miami vs. Nashville SC, and Charlotte FC vs. NYCFC.
- Western Conference pairings are San Diego FC vs. the Portland/Real Salt Lake winner, Vancouver Whitecaps vs. FC Dallas, LAFC vs. Austin FC, and Minnesota United vs. Seattle Sounders.
- Lionel Messi finished the regular season with 29 goals to win the Golden Boot as Inter Miami enter as the East No. 3 seed to face Nashville.