MLS Weighs High-Stakes Playoff Overhaul for 2028
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Proposed changes include a double-elimination bracket and the removal of conferences as the league aligns with the international calendar.
Major League Soccer is considering a sweeping redesign of its postseason structure that would move the league away from its traditional corporate conference model toward a more volatile, high-stakes format.
As The Guardian first reported, the proposed overhaul would debut in 2028, coinciding with the league's transition to a fall-to-spring schedule. The plan would scrap the current Eastern and Western Conference system in favor of a five-division setup. Rather than allocating playoff spots by conference, all teams would be ranked in a single combined table, with the 20 best teams advancing to the postseason.
The Guardian reports that the proposed format would feature a play-in round involving eight of those 20 teams, with four advancing to create a final field of 16. A key component of the proposal is a "double-elimination" round for the top eight teams in the combined table, a move designed to increase the value of regular-season performance. Under this system, a victory in the initial round would grant a team direct entry into the quarter-finals. Additionally, teams would be re-seeded after every round to maintain competitive and hosting advantages for the highest-seeded clubs.
Sources cited by The Guardian note that the proposed structure closely resembles the "double-chance" format used by the AFL, the elite level of Australian rules football, and that MLS has held discussions with the AFL regarding its approach.
This potential shift comes as the league undergoes significant leadership and structural changes. Los Angeles FC co-owner Larry Berg has been named the new commissioner, scheduled to succeed Don Garber next year. The league is also planning a shortened "sprint season" in 2027 before fully aligning with the international calendar.
MLS has a history of frequent postseason adjustments, moving from a best-of-three format in its early years to two-legged matchups in 2003 and a single-elimination format in 2019. The current format, introduced during the 2023 Apple TV media rights deal, combined single-elimination and best-of-three matches with conference play-in games—a structure that The Guardian reports has faced criticism from players, coaches, and fans.
In a statement, Major League Soccer confirmed it is evaluating adjustments to the postseason as part of a broader review of the competition calendar for the 2027-28 season, though the league noted that no formal determinations have been made.