How is the MLS Winner Decided?

The way MLS crowns its champion differs from most soccer leagues around the world. Unlike leagues where the points leader is champion, MLS awards the Supporters’ Shield to the regular-season points leader and then holds a playoff tournament. Soccer fans often ask: How is the MLS winner decided? MLS determines its champion through the postseason playoffs culminating in the MLS Cup Final. In other words, the team that wins the MLS Cup is crowned the league champion.

Table of Contents

Regular Season Standings & Supporters’ Shield

During the MLS regular season (typically March–October), teams earn 3 points for a win, 1 for a draw, and 0 for a loss. Teams are divided into Eastern and Western Conferences, but all clubs also appear in an overall table for trophies. The club with the best overall record is awarded the Supporters’ Shield. This honor is similar to being “season champion.” However, MLS treats the Shield as a separate trophy – the Supporters’ Shield winner is not automatically the MLS champion.

Tie-breakers are used if teams finish tied on points. The first tie-breaker is total wins; next is goal differential; then goals scored. If still tied, disciplinary points and home/away goals are considered. Only if all criteria fail does MLS use a coin flip or drawing of lots. (Head-to-head results are not used.) The Shield winner earns a CONCACAF Champions Cup berth and some playoff advantages, but how is the MLS winner decided ultimately depends on the playoffs, not just the regular season. For example, Inter Miami CF won the 2024 Supporters’ Shield with a league-record 74 points, yet the MLS Cup champion that year was LA Galaxy, who earned it through the playoff tournament.

Playoff Qualification and Seeding

Once the regular season concludes on “Decision Day,” 18 teams (nine from each conference) qualify for the MLS Cup Playoffs. The teams are seeded 1–9 in each conference by points (or points-per-game). In the current format (adopted in 2023): seeds 1–7 in each conference receive byes to Round One (the conference quarterfinals), while seeds 8 and 9 play a single-elimination Wild Card game (8th seed hosts 9th). The two Wild Card winners then join the top 7 seeds in Round One. This structure means many teams qualify (about 60% of the league) even as MLS has grown (29 teams in 2023, 30 by 2025).

The playoff bracket is fixed within each conference: #1 seed faces the Wild Card winner, #2 vs #7, #3 vs #6, and #4 vs #5. (No re-seeding occurs.) Higher seeds host games (and in Round One, host games 1 and 3 of the series). Regular-season tie-breakers determine seeds, so even a difference of one goal or one win in October can change who hosts or faces whom.

MLS Cup Playoff Format

The MLS Cup Playoffs are a knockout tournament that produces the league champion. The format (2023–present) is:

Wild Card Round: Each conference’s 8th seed hosts the 9th seed in a single-elimination game. The two winners advance.
Round One (Conference Quarterfinals): Best-of-three series. Matchups are #1 vs Wild Card winner, #2 vs #7, #3 vs #6, #4 vs #5. The higher seed hosts games 1 and 3; the lower seed hosts game 2. The first team to win two games advances. (If any game is tied after 90 minutes, it goes straight to a penalty shootout – there is no extra time in Round One.)
Conference Semifinals: Four teams remain per conference. These are single-elimination matches: highest vs lowest seed, and the other two teams. The higher seed hosts the game. These matches do allow extra time and penalties: tied games play two 15-minute extra halves, then a shootout if still tied.
Conference Finals: The semifinal winners in each conference play a one-game Conference Final. Higher seed hosts. This determines the Eastern Conference champion and the Western Conference champion. Extra time and penalties apply as above.
MLS Cup Final: The Eastern champion and Western champion meet in the final match. The team with the better regular-season record hosts the game. The winner of this single match is the MLS Cup champion (and league champion). If tied after 90 minutes, extra time and then penalty kicks decide the winner.

Figure: Columbus Crew players celebrating with the MLS Cup trophy after winning the 2023 MLS Cup Final. Each playoff round eliminates half the teams until one champion remains. For example, in MLS Cup 2023 Columbus Crew (higher seed) beat LAFC 2–1 in extra time, earning the title. In MLS Cup 2024, LA Galaxy (host) won 2–1 over New York Red Bulls to claim their sixth championship. In every case, it’s that final game which decides the MLS champion.

Teams that enter as Wild Card must win four straight games to lift the Cup; higher seeds need fewer. But regardless of seeding, the MLS Cup Final winner is the champion. For instance, in 2024 the Red Bulls won the Eastern bracket from a lower seed while LA Galaxy won the Western bracket, but only Galaxy (the Cup winner) was champion.

Key Rules and Details

Conference Structure: MLS has Eastern and Western Conference brackets. One team from each conference becomes a finalist in MLS Cup.
Home-Field Advantage: The higher seed hosts matches (and hosts games 1 and 3 of Round One). This rewards better regular-season performance.
Tie-breaking in Playoffs: Every playoff match must produce a winner. In Round One (best-of-3), tied games go straight to penalties (no extra time). From the Semifinals onward, tied games have 30 minutes of extra time, then penalties if still level.
Aggregate & Away Goals: The current playoffs do not use aggregate scoring or an away-goals rule. (In 2014–2018, MLS used two-leg series with away goals as a tie-breaker, but this was removed.)
Championship Trophy: The MLS Cup champion receives the Philip F. Anschutz Trophy. The Supporters’ Shield is a separate trophy for best regular-season record.
Continental Cups: The MLS Cup champion and the Supporters’ Shield winner each earn berths in the CONCACAF Champions Cup (other top teams may also qualify). However, those spots do not determine the MLS champion itself.
Previous Formats: Before 2019, fewer teams made the playoffs. For example, 2019–2022 had 14 playoff teams (7 per conference), and 2012–2018 had 10–12 teams. Formats included byes for #1 seeds and two-leg series in some rounds.
MLS Cup Records: Los Angeles Galaxy have the most MLS Cup titles (6 championships as of 2024). Other historic winners include D.C. United and Seattle Sounders (multiple titles).
Knockout Drama: Because the playoffs are largely single elimination, upsets frequently occur. Lower seeds often win playoff games, so even the best regular-season team can be eliminated. Ultimately, the final game decides the champion, which is why the cup winner – not the points leader – is MLS champion.

Throughout the season, fans may ask “Who’s going to win the Supporters’ Shield?” or “Can we reach a certain seed?”. But for “how is the MLS winner decided”, only the playoffs matter. Teams and fans track the standings (to secure playoff berths and seeding), but the champion is determined on the field in late fall.

History of the MLS Championship Format

MLS has used playoffs since its inception. In the very first season, MLS Cup 1996, D.C. United defeated LA Galaxy 3–2 with a golden goal. At that time there was no Supporters’ Shield – only playoff seeding. (MLS introduced the Supporters’ Shield in 1999, retroactively awarding it to the 1996–1998 winners). From day one, the champion has been the MLS Cup winner.

Over the years, the playoff format evolved. In the early 2000s MLS used series and aggregate goals. From 2012–2018, the conference semifinals and finals were two-legged ties with away goals as a tiebreaker. Starting in 2019, MLS switched to more single-elimination rounds. The number of playoff teams grew as MLS expanded: 8 teams in 1996, 10 teams (5 per conference) in 2012, 14 teams (7 per conf) in 2019, and now 18 teams (9 per conf) in 2023.

Despite all format changes, one thing stayed the same: the MLS Cup Final determines the champion. Whether through two-leg series or one-match finals, the league always concludes with a championship game. In short, across MLS history how the MLS winner is decided has been constant – it’s decided by the playoff champion, not by the regular-season leader.

Supporters’ Shield vs MLS Cup (The “Double”)

Some teams have dominated both the regular season and the playoffs. Winning the Supporters’ Shield and the MLS Cup in the same year is called the “double.” MLS winners of the double include D.C. United (1996, 1997) and LA Galaxy (2012). Columbus Crew SC also won both trophies in 2020. However, in most seasons different teams claim each trophy. For example, in 2024 Inter Miami CF won the Shield (best record) while LA Galaxy won the MLS Cup. Both accomplishments are celebrated, but MLS officially crowns the Cup winner as league champion.

In short, if someone asks “How is the MLS winner decided?” — the answer is: by who wins the postseason. The Shield is an important prize, but it does not by itself make the team the MLS champion.

The Importance of the MLS Cup Final

The MLS Cup Final is the ultimate championship game and must produce a winner. It cannot end in a draw. The winner of that match takes the Philip F. Anschutz Trophy. In effect, the final game answers “how is the MLS winner decided?” once and for all each year.

Since 2023 the final is hosted by the team with the better regular-season record. This means even the final’s venue reward is tied to the season standings. For example, in 2023 Columbus Crew had the higher seed and hosted the Cup Final, and in 2024 LA Galaxy (highest seed) hosted and won. Still, home-field advantage does not guarantee a win – any champion must be earned on the field. Notably, to date every home team has won MLS Cup, but upsets remain possible.

Ultimately, the MLS Cup Final provides a climactic end to the season. All the wins, losses, and seeds lead to that one match. This format combines the drama of a final with the importance of the regular season.

Decision Day and the Playoff Race

On Decision Day (final regular-season weekend), teams finalize their fates. Contention may be fierce for seeds, wild-card spots, and home-field advantage. For instance, teams may battle to be 7th seed (to avoid the play-in) or to edge into the top 3 for home playoff games. Once Decision Day is done, the playoff bracket is locked in.

From that point on, it’s a straight knockout tournament. Lower-seeded teams must win more games to reach the final, while top seeds have an easier path. But an underdog can still make a run – MLS Cup history has seen lower seeds (e.g. Real Salt Lake in 2013, Seattle Sounders in 2016) reach the final. Every playoff match is effectively a do-or-die semifinal, quarterfinal, etc. Regardless of the journey, the champion is decided by who wins in those games.

Comparing to Other Championship Systems

MLS’s method of crowning a champion is different from most international soccer leagues. In England’s Premier League, or Bundesliga, or La Liga, the team with the most points at season’s end is champion. In MLS, that team only wins the Supporters’ Shield; the champion is decided by playoffs. This is similar to U.S. sports like the NFL or NBA – after a regular season, a playoff tournament (culminating in a big final) decides the champion.

This hybrid approach (a league with a postseason) is common in North American soccer (and in Mexico’s Liga MX with playoffs). It can seem counterintuitive to fans accustomed to a pure “best record wins” system. But in MLS, how the MLS winner is decided is firmly by who prevails in the postseason tournament, i.e. who wins the MLS Cup Final.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: How is the MLS champion determined?
A: By winning the MLS Cup playoffs. The team that wins the final match (MLS Cup Final) is crowned the MLS champion. The Supporters’ Shield winner is the top regular-season team, but the league title goes to the Cup winner.

Q: How many teams qualify for the MLS playoffs?
A: Eighteen teams total (nine per conference) qualify under the current format. Earlier formats had fewer teams (e.g. 14 teams in 2019–2022), but since 2023 it’s 18.

Q: What is the Supporters’ Shield?
A: The Supporters’ Shield is awarded to the team with the best regular-season record (most points). It is a major trophy and earns a Champions Cup spot, but it does not make that team the MLS champion.

Q: What if playoff games end in a tie?
A: All playoff games are decided on the day. In Round One, tied games go directly to a penalty shootout. In the Conference Semifinals, Finals, and MLS Cup Final, tied games play extra time and then penalties if needed.

Q: Where is the MLS Cup Final played?
A: At the home stadium of the finalist with the better regular-season record. For example, in 2024 LA Galaxy hosted and won the final because they had the higher seed.

Q: What is the “double” in MLS?
A: Winning both the Supporters’ Shield and the MLS Cup in the same season. Teams that have done the double include D.C. United (1996, 1997) and LA Galaxy (2012).

Q: Does winning the MLS Cup affect Champions Cup qualification?
A: Yes. The MLS Cup champion earns a Champions Cup berth, as does the Supporters’ Shield winner (and other high-placing teams).