Major League Soccer Standings: How the Table Works

Table coming soon….

This page shows the live Major League Soccer (MLS) table and explains how it works. The standings below update automatically as results come in, so you always see the current order of teams; the guide underneath explains the format, what each position means, the tiebreakers that separate level teams, the key dates for the 2026 season and how to follow the league from New Zealand.

How the MLS table is organised

MLS splits its 30 clubs into two conferences — the Eastern Conference and the Western Conference — with 15 teams in each. Instead of one combined league table, the standings are shown as two conference tables, because playoff qualification is decided within each conference.

Every club plays 34 regular-season matches. Teams earn 3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw and 0 for a loss, and the table is ordered by total points, highest first. If you are new to league tables, our guide on how to read a sports standings table walks through every row and column, and the standings table abbreviations glossary explains what P, W, D, L, GF, GA, GD and Pts mean.

MLS is a closed league with no promotion or relegation: the bottom clubs are not demoted and no teams come up from a lower division. Finishing last carries no sporting drop — the stakes in the table are about reaching the playoffs, not avoiding the drop. New clubs join only by paying an expansion fee, which is how San Diego FC became the 30th team in 2025.

What each position in the MLS table means

The top nine teams in each conference qualify for the MLS Cup Playoffs — 18 clubs in total. Within that, the exact position matters:

• Seeds 1–7: go straight into Round One of the playoffs.
• Seeds 8–9: meet in a single Wild Card match in each conference; the winner takes the eighth playoff spot against the No. 1 seed.
• 10th place and below: miss the playoffs. Because there is no relegation, these clubs simply end their season on Decision Day.

A higher seed is valuable: it earns home advantage through the playoffs, so finishing first or second in a conference is a real reward for a strong regular season.

The Supporters’ Shield

The Supporters’ Shield goes to the single club with the best regular-season record across all 30 teams — the most points in the combined standings, with the same tiebreakers applied. It is a separate trophy from the MLS Cup and is decided purely by the table, not the playoffs.

Continental qualification places

Several MLS clubs qualify each year for the Concacaf Champions Cup, the region’s top club competition. Berths go to the Supporters’ Shield winner, the regular-season winner of each conference, the MLS Cup champion, and the winners of the Leagues Cup and the domestic cups (the U.S. Open Cup and the Canadian Championship). For the 2026 edition, nine MLS clubs qualified through these routes.

How MLS breaks ties in the standings

When two or more clubs finish level on points, MLS applies a fixed order of tiebreakers to rank them. The sequence is:

1. Total number of wins
2. Goal differential (goals for minus goals against)
3. Goals for
4. Fewest disciplinary points
5. Away goal differential
6. Away goals for
7. Home goal differential
8. Home goals for
9. Coin toss (two clubs) or a drawing of lots (three or more)

If clubs are still level after one criterion separates the others, the teams that remain tied run through the full list again. Note that MLS uses total wins before goal differential, which is unusual compared with many leagues — our explainer on how points and tiebreakers work covers why the order differs between competitions.

Key dates for the 2026 MLS season

The 2026 regular season runs from late February to early November, with a mid-season pause for the FIFA World Cup. Decision Day — the final round, with games kicking off simultaneously — sets the final table and the playoff seeding. The playoffs then run through December.

How the MLS season ends

The MLS season is decided by a knockout tournament, not by the table alone. After Decision Day, the 18 qualified clubs enter the MLS Cup Playoffs:

• Wild Card: single-elimination matches (seeds 8 v 9) in each conference; a tie goes straight to penalties, with no extra time.
• Round One: a best-of-three series — the first club to win two games advances. Games cannot be drawn: a tie after regulation is settled on penalties.
• Conference Semifinals and Finals: single-elimination matches, hosted by the higher seed, with two 15-minute periods of extra time and then penalties if still level.
• MLS Cup: one final between the Eastern and Western Conference champions, hosted by the finalist with the better regular-season record.

The winner of MLS Cup is the league champion. So the regular-season table decides who makes the playoffs and who hosts, while the trophy itself is won in the knockout rounds. Many top European leagues work the other way around — for a contrast, see how the Premier League standings crown a champion on points alone.

How to follow MLS from New Zealand

From the 2026 season, every MLS match streams on Apple TV at no extra cost to subscribers — the separate MLS Season Pass has been retired. Apple TV costs NZ$17.99 per month in New Zealand (a seven-day free trial is offered to new subscribers), and the service covers regular-season games, the Leagues Cup and the MLS Cup Playoffs with no blackouts, in more than 100 countries and regions including New Zealand.

Kick-off times suit mornings and early afternoons in New Zealand. During the North American autumn and the playoffs, New Zealand (NZDT) is 18 hours ahead of US Eastern Time, so a 7:00pm Saturday match on the US east coast starts at about 1:00pm on Sunday NZDT, and an afternoon US game lands mid-morning NZ time the following day. Always check the fixture time in your own calendar, as start times vary by match and time zone.

Frequently asked questions

How many teams make the MLS playoffs?

Eighteen clubs qualify for the MLS Cup Playoffs — the top nine in each of the two conferences. Seeds 1 to 7 go straight to Round One, while seeds 8 and 9 meet in a Wild Card match for the final spot.

Does MLS have promotion and relegation?

No. MLS is a closed league of 30 clubs with no promotion or relegation. Finishing bottom of a conference carries no demotion; the only consequence of the table is whether a club reaches the playoffs.

What is the Supporters’ Shield?

The Supporters’ Shield is awarded to the club with the best regular-season record across all 30 teams — the most points in the combined standings. It is separate from the MLS Cup and is decided by the table rather than the playoffs.

How are teams level on points separated?

MLS ranks level teams by total wins first, then goal differential, goals for, fewest disciplinary points, and then away and home goal records, with a coin toss or drawing of lots as the final step.

How can I watch MLS in New Zealand?

From 2026, all MLS matches stream on Apple TV, included with a standard subscription (NZ$17.99 per month) and with no blackouts. The standalone MLS Season Pass no longer exists.