Take a closer look at the MLS Playoff picture

As the 2026 MLS regular season reaches its most critical point in the season, there are still plenty of teams trying to cross the red line in the playoff race.

Most of the 30 MLS teams have six games in the regular season, which culminates with Decision Day on November 7. Supporters’ Shield leaders Nashville SC are the only club to have qualified for the playoffs so far and are in the running to lift the Shield early.

The race to finish in the top four of the Eastern Conference is tight, with both the New England Revolution and MLS Cup holders Inter Miami in second place. Charlotte FC, Chicago Fire and a resurgent Philadelphia Union side are also in the mix, with Philadelphia currently riding a 12-match unbeaten streak in MLS play since the World Cup break.

There is currently a six-point gap between second and sixth place in the Eastern Conference, and there are still plenty of head-to-head matches on the horizon.

The fight to seal the last places in the Eastern Conference was also intense, with only 5 points separating the 7th and 12th places. The New York Red Bulls and NYCFC currently hold the final two playoff spots in the East, with FC Cincinnati sitting out on goal difference.

DC United is currently in 11th place in the Eastern Conference, just three points behind the aforementioned teams New York City and FC Cincinnati. Columbus Crew and Toronto FC are currently in 12th place and remain in the hunt.

As for the Western Conference, the Vancouver Whitecaps are currently in first place, but just three points ahead of both St. Louis City SC and FC Dallas. St. Louis is currently riding a 17-game unbeaten streak and prepares to compete in the U.S. Open Cup final against the Columbus Crew on Oct. 21, hoping to secure its first title in club history.

The San Jose Earthquakes and Houston Dynamo are closing in on St. Louis, trailing them by just two and three points.

Slumping LAFC will look to catch the leaders in the West as they sit in sixth place as they are in the midst of a 10-game free fall. Xavi Tamarit will look to turn things around after filling in for the sacked Mark Dos Santos on a temporary basis.

The final three West playoff spots are currently held by the Colorado Rapids, LA Galaxy and Seattle Sounders, but several clubs are in hot pursuit. The Portland Timbers, Real Salt Lake, San Diego FC and Austin FC will try to catch up with just four points separating them from seventh to 13th.

MLS action resumes after the international break on October 10th, here’s a closer look at how both schedules look and the remaining schedules for all clubs:

Eastern Conference

  1. Nashville SC – 60 score
  • Remaining Schedule: 10/10: @Austin FC, 10/14: Sporting Kansas City, 10/17: @San Jose Earthquakes, 10/24: @Montreal FC, 11/1: New York Red Bulls, 11/7: @FC Cincinnati
  1. New England Revolution – 46 score
  • Remaining Schedule: 10/10: vs. Seattle Sounders, 10/14: @FC Cincinnati, 10/17: vs. Chicago Fire, 10/24: @Philadelphia Union, 10/28: New York Red Bulls, 11/1: vs. Miami/7o:SCr
  1. Inter Miami – 46 score
  • Remaining Schedule: 10/10: DC United, 10/14: New York City FC, 10/17: @Atlanta United, 10/24: @New York Red Bulls, 10/28: FC Cincinnati, 11/1: @New England FC 1/7 Charlotte, 1.
  1. FC Charlotte – 43 score
  • Remaining Schedule: 10/10: FC Dallas, 10/14: @Columbus Crew, 10/17: @Philadelphia Union, 10/24: @Portland Timbers, 10/28: CF Montreal, 10/31: Orlando City 11/SC 7:In,
  1. Chicago Fire FC- 42 score
  • Remaining Schedule: 10/10: vs. New York City FC, 10/14: vs. Philadelphia Union, 10/17: @New England Revolution, 10/24 @Atlanta United, 10/28: vs. Orlando City SC, 10/31: @Colorado C. Rapi/ vs.
  1. Philadelphia Union – 39 score
  • Remaining Schedule: 10/10: vs. Real Salt Lake, 10/14: @Chicago Fire, 10/17: vs. Charlotte FC, 10/24: vs. New England Revolution, 10/28: @Nashville SC, 10/31: @FC Cincinnati, 11to FC7/
  1. Orlando City SC- 34 score
  • Remaining Schedule: 10/10: Columbus Crew 10/17: @ Toronto FC, 10/17: vs. DC United, 10/24: vs. New York City FC, 10/28: @Chicago Fire, 10/31: @ Charlotte FC, 11/7: Revol.
  1. New York Red Bulls – 33 score
  • Remaining Schedule: 10/10: San Diego FC, 10/14: @DC United, 10/17: Toronto FC, 10/24: Inter Miami, 10/28: @New England Revolution, 11/1: @Nashville SC, 11/Atlanta.
  1. New York City FC – 33 score
  • Remaining Schedule: 10/10: @Chicago Fire, 10/14: @Inter Miami, 10/17: vs. LAFC, 10/24: @Orlando City SC, 10/28: Atlanta United, 10/31: vs. CF Montreal at @DC United.
  1. FC Cincinnati – 33 score
  • Remaining Schedule: 10/10: @Atlanta United, 10/14: vs. New England Revolution, 10/18: vs. Columbus Crew, 10/21: vs. DC United 10/24: @DC United 10/28: @Inter Miami 10/28: @Inter Miami 10/7 Phila vs1: Nashville SC.
  1. DC United – 30 score
  • Remaining Schedule: 10/10: @Inter Miami, 10/14: New York Red Bulls, 10/17: @Orlando City SC, 10/21: @FC Cincinnati, 10/24: FC Cincinnati, 10/31: @Columbus City, FC New York: 11/7.

Other teams competing in the playoffs:

  1. Columbus Crew – 29 points
  2. Toronto FC – 29 score
  3. Atlanta United – 27 points
  4. CF Montreal – 24 points

Western Conference

  1. Vancouver Whitecaps – 50 score
  • Remaining Schedule: 10/6: @Chicago Fire, 10/10: @LAFC, 10/14: @St.Louis City SC, 10/17: @Austin FC, 10/24: @Colorado Rapids, 10/28: vs. San Diego FC/1/Seaunder, 1/7, vs. CF Montreal
  1. Louis City SC- 47 score
  • Remaining Schedule: 11/10: LA Galaxy, 10/14: Vancouver Whitecaps, 10/17: @Minnesota United, 10/24: @Real Salt Lake, 10/28: Portland Timbers, 10/31: San Diego 11/7:H.

3. FC Dallas – 47 score

  • Remaining Schedule: 10/10: @Charlotte FC, 10/14: vs. Seattle Sounders, 10/17: @Houston Dynamo, 10/24: vs. San Jose Earthquakes, 10/28: Columbus Crew, 10/31: @Sporting City: Color City 1/1

4. San Jose earthquakes – 45 score

  • Remaining Schedule: 10/10: @Colorado Rapids, 10/14: @Real Salt Lake, 10/17: vs. Nashville SC, 10/24: @FC Dallas, 10/28: vs. Colorado Rapids 10/31: Real Salt Lake, 11/7: @Minneso United:

5. Houston Dynamo – 44 points

  • Remaining Schedule: 10/10: @Minnesota United, 10/14: @San Diego FC, 10/17: vs. FC Dallas, 10/24: vs. Minnesota United, 10/28: @Seattle Sounders, 11/1: @Portland1/Louis 7: vs.

6. LAFC-41 score

  • Remaining Schedule: 10/10: vs. Vancouver Whitecaps, 10/14: vs. Austin FC, 10/17: @New York City FC, 10/25: LA Galaxy, 11/1: vs. Minnesota United, 11/7: @SeattleSounders

7. Seattle Sounders – 38 score

  • Remaining Schedule: 10/10: @New England Revolution, 10/14: @FC Dallas, 10/17: vs. CF Montreal, 10/24: @San Diego FC, 10/28: vs. Houston Dynamo, 11/1: @Vancouver, FC11LA/7:

8. Colorado Rapids – 36 score

  • Remaining Schedule: 10/10: vs. San Jose Earthquakes, 10/14: vs. Minnesota United, 10/17: @Portland Timbers, 10/24: vs. Vancouver Whitecaps, 10/28: @San Jose Earthquakes, 10/31: Dallas, 10/31: @Fire.

9. Los Angeles Galaxy – 36 score

  • Remaining Schedule: 10/11: @St. Louis City SC, 10/14: vs. Portland Timbers, 10/17: vs. San Diego FC, 10/25: @LAFC, 10/31: vs. Austin FC, 11/7: @Real Salt Lake

10. Portland Timbers – 32 score

  • Remaining Schedule: 10/10: @Sporting Kansas City, 10/14: @LA Galaxy, 10/17: vs. Colorado Rapids, 10/24: vs. Charlotte FC, 11/1: vs. Houston Dynamo, 11/7: @Austin FC

11. Real Salt Lake – 32 score

  • Remaining Schedule: 10/10: @Philadelphia Union, 10/14: vs. San Jose Earthquakes, 10/17: @Sporting Kansas City, 10/24: St.Louis City SC, 10/28: @Austin FC, 10/31: @LA Galaxy vs. @San-Jose:

Other teams competing in the playoffs:

  • 12. San Diego FC – 32 score
  • 13. Austin FC – 31 score
  • 14. Minnesota United – 29 score
  • 15. Sporting Kansas City – 21 score

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