 | |
| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Country | United States Canada |
| Dates | November 20 – December 11 |
| Teams | 14 |
| Defending champions | Columbus Crew (did not qualify) |
| Final positions | |
| Champions | New York City FC (1st title) |
| Runner-up | Portland Timbers |
| Semifinalists | |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Matches played | 13 |
| Goals scored | 32 (2.46 per match) |
| Attendance | 299,891 (23,069 per match) |
| Top goal scorer(s) |  Valentín Castellanos Hany Mukhtar(3 goals each) |
The 2021 MLS Cup Playoffs (branded as the 2021 Audi MLS Cup Playoffs for sponsorship reasons) was the 26th edition of the MLS Cup Playoffs, the post-season championship of Major League Soccer (MLS), the top soccer league in the United States and Canada. The tournament culminated the 2021 MLS regular season. The tournament began on November 20 and concluded with MLS Cup 2021 on December 11.[1]
The Columbus Crew were the defending MLS Cup champions, but failed to qualify for the playoffs after finishing ninth in the Eastern Conference.
The 2021 MLS Cup Playoffs marked the first time since 2004 that no club from Texas qualified, and the first time ever that no club from California qualified.[2]
- ^ "MLS announces Audi 2021 MLS Cup Playoffs schedule". MLSSoccer.com. Major League Soccer. September 9, 2021. Retrieved September 24, 2021.
- ^ Creditor, Avi (November 7, 2021). "MLS Decision Day: No Playoffs for Defending Champ Columbus, California or Texas Teams". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved October 10, 2022.