The 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs series is here!
Lionel Messi and Inter Miami topped the Eastern Conference, while Los Angeles FC were the kings of the Western Conference table, but it's never so simple in the Playoffs.
Messi's goal of winning the MLS Cup title came to an abrupt end in Round One itself, with his Inter Miami suffering a shock first-round elimination from the playoffs after a 3-2 home defeat to Atlanta United, who will now face Orlando in the Eastern Conference semi-finals with New York Red Bulls and New York City clashing in the other conference semi-final.
LAFC will face Seattle Sounders FC and LA Galaxy play Minnesota United in the MLS Cup Playoffs Western Conference semi-finals.
Here, GOAL brings you everything you need to know about the 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs series, including the schedule and how to watch matches live.
How to watch the 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs
Every game in the 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs is available to watch live on Apple TV with the MLS Season Pass.
As well as live coverage of matches, highlights are also available through the MLS Season Pass and via the MLS YouTube channel.
What is the MLS Cup Playoffs 2024 format?
The 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs began on October 2022, 2024 and games will run until the MLS Cup final on December 7.
The Wildcard round is followed by Round One, Conference Semi-finals, Conference Finals and finally, the MLS Cup.
In the WIldcard round, two teams from each division play a one-off game to enter Round One. If the game is tied, penalties decide the winner.
In Round One, teams play a best-of-three system, in which games that are tied go to penalties to decide a winner. In this system, two games may be sufficient (if a team wins the first two legs).
From then, in the Conference Semi-finals, finals and MLS Cup, ties are decided by a single match.
| Round | Date(s) |
|---|---|
| Wildcard | Oct 22 - Oct 23 |
| Round One | Oct 25 - Nov 10 |
| Conference Semi-finals | Nov 23 - Nov 24 |
| Conference Finals | Nov 30 - Dec 1 |
| MLS Cup | Dec 7 |
Wildcard Round
| Conference | Date | Match | TV channel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern | Oct 22 | Montreal 2-2 Atlanta United (4-5P) | Apple TV |
| Western | Oct 23 | Vancouver Whitecaps 5-0 Portland Timbers | Apple TV |
Round One
Eastern Conference
| Team 1 | Series score | Team 2 | Leg 1 | Leg 2 | Leg 3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inter Miami | 1-2 | Atlanta United | 2-1 | 1-2 | 2-3 |
| Columbus Crew | 0-2 | New York Red Bulls | 0-1 | 2-2 (4-5P) | -- |
| FC Cincinnati | 2-1 | New York City FC | 1-0 | 1-3 | 0-0 (6-5P) |
| Orlando City | 2-1 | Charlotte | 2-0 | 0-0 (1-3P) | 1-1 (4-1P) |
Western Conference
| Team 1 | Series score | Team 2 | Leg 1 | Leg 2 | Leg 3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles FC | 2-1 | Vancouver Whitecaps | 2-1 | 0-3 | 1-0 |
| LA Galaxy | 2-0 | Colorado Rapids | 5-0 | 4-1 | - |
| Real Salt Lake | 0-2 | Minnesota United | 0-0 (4-5P) | 1-1 (1-3P) | - |
| Seattle Sounders | 2-0 | Houston Dynamo | 0-0 (5-4P) | 1-1 (7-6P) | - |
Conference Semi-finals
Eastern Conference
| Team 1 | Match | Team 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Orlando City | Nov 23/24 | Atlanta United |
| NYCFC | Nov 23/24 | New York Red Bulls |
Western Conference
| Team 1 | Match | Team 2 |
|---|---|---|
| LAFC | Nov 23/24 | Seattle Sounders |
| LA Galaxy | Nov 23/24 | Minnesota United |
Conference Finals
| Conference | Date | Match |
|---|---|---|
| Eastern | Nov 30/Dec 1 | TBC |
| Western | Nov 30/Dec 1 | TBC |
MLS Cup 2024
| Date | Match | Kick-off time | TV channel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 7 | Eastern Conference final winner vs Western Conference final winner | 4 pm ET | Apple TV, FOX, FOX Deportes, TSN, RDS |
The 2024 MLS Cup match will be played on December 7, 2024, with a kick-off time scheduled for 4 pm ET.
The winning teams from the Conference finals will face off against each other live on Apple TV.