| Founded | 1996 |
|---|---|
| Region |
|
| Number of teams | 18 |
| Current champions | Columbus Crew (3rd title) |
| Most successful team(s) | LA Galaxy (5 titles) |
 2024 MLS Cup playoffs | |
The MLS Cup playoffs is the annual postseason elimination tournament of Major League Soccer. The MLS Cup, the league's championship game, is the final match of the tournament. Under the current format adopted for the 2023 season, 18 teams qualify for the tournament based on regular-season point totals — the nine highest-placed teams from each the Eastern Conference and the Western Conference. Audi is the title sponsor of this tournament.
Awarding a championship through a postseason tournament differs from most other soccer leagues around the world, where the team with the most points at the end of the season is deemed champion. MLS awards the regular-season champions with the Supporters' Shield and both champions earn a berth in the CONCACAF Champions Cup, the continental tournament.[1]
- ^ "Concacaf announces qualification criteria for Confederation's expanded Champions League starting in 2024". CONCACAF. June 1, 2022. Retrieved February 8, 2023.