MLS NEXT Pro will add a Play-in Round for the 2026 season, where the No. 8 and No. 9 seeds in each conference play a single-elimination match to determine the final playoff berths. The league will keep its Pick-Your-Opponent format for the first two rounds—higher seeds host and choose opponents—and the expanded postseason schedule culminates in the MLS NEXT Pro Cup in early November.
Copy URL Share on Facebook Share on X Pick-Your-Opponent Format to Return for First Two Rounds of Playoffs MLS NEXT Pro today announced an update to the League’s Playoff format for 2026. For the first time in League history, a Play-in Round will be held to determine the last two teams to qualify for the Playoffs. The 2026 Playoffs will continue to feature the fan-favorite Pick-Your-Opponent format, the League’s unique postseason match-up mechanism. Final seeding of the 2026 MLS NEXT Pro regular season will be determined on Decision Day on Sunday, September 20. Decision Day All 30 MLS NEXT Pro teams take the field on Decision Day – 16 Eastern Conference teams play their final matches of the 2026 regular season simultaneously at 2 p.m. ET, while 14 Western Conference teams close the regular season with concurrent matches at 5 p.m. ET. St Louis CITY2’s decision day match at Energizer Park against Austin FC II on Sunday, September 20 at 4 p.m. CT will air on both OneFootball.com and MLSNEXTPro.com. Playoff Qualifications Seven teams automatically qualify from each Conference (14 total): the two Division Champions plus the next five teams with the most points. The winners of the Play-in Round matches will join the seven teams in each conference to round out the playoff field at eight teams per Conference (16 total). Play-in Round Following Decision Day, the No. 8 and No. 9 seeds in each conference will face off in a single-elimination match, hosted by each No. 8 seed. The winners of the Play-in matches will advance as the final No. 8 seeds in the 2026 MLS NEXT Pro Playoffs. Pick-Your-Opponent MLS NEXT Pro’s Pick-Your-Opponent format returns for the fourth consecutive year and will be utilized during the first two rounds of the 2026 Playoffs: the Conference Quarterfinals and Conference Semifinals. Higher seeded teams will host and select their opponents from lower seeds. The 2026 MLS NEXT Pro Playoffs round-by-round format and schedule follows (17 total matches): Play-in Round: October 9-11 (one match per conference) No. 8 vs. No. 9 seeds in each conference Conference Quarterfinals: October 16 – 18 (four matches per conference) No. 1-3 seeds in each conference will host and select their opponent from the No. 5-8 seeds (with No. 8 being the winner of the Play-in Round) No. 4 seed will host the remaining Club Conference Semifinals: October 23 – 25 (two matches per conference) The highest remaining seed in each conference will select and host an opponent from the two lowest seeded teams The two remaining Clubs will face each other, with the higher of the two seeds hosting Conference Finals: October 30 – November 1 (one match per conference) The higher remaining seed in each conference will host the other remaining Club MLS NEXT Pro Cup: November 6-8 (one match) The Club with the highest regular season points total will host the other remaining Club All 2026 MLS NEXT Pro Playoff matches and MLS NEXT Pro Cup will air live on OneFootball.com and MLSNEXTPro.com. Featured CITY2 Copy URL Share on Facebook Share on X
Curated by Taleb Kabbara · Source: www.stlcitysc.com
MLS NEXT Pro, OneFootball.com, MLS Next, St Louis CITY2, Energizer Park, Austin FC II
MLS NEXT Pro: MLS NEXT Pro is a professional soccer league that is introducing a Play-in Round for the 2026 Playoffs and will use its Pick-Your-Opponent format for the first two rounds of the 2026 Playoffs.
OneFootball.com: OneFootball.com is a digital football media and streaming platform that will air all 2026 MLS NEXT Pro Playoff matches and the MLS NEXT Pro Cup.
MLS Next: MLS Next is the organization whose official website provided information referenced in this story.
St Louis CITY2: St Louis CITY2 is an MLS NEXT Pro club whose Decision Day match at Energizer Park against Austin FC II will air on OneFootball.com and MLSNEXTPro.com.
Energizer Park: Energizer Park is the venue hosting St Louis CITY2's Decision Day match against Austin FC II on September 20 at 4 p.m. CT.
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