 | |
| Founded | 1996 |
|---|---|
| Region | Major League Soccer (CONCACAF) |
| Current champions | Columbus Crew (3rd title) |
| Most successful team(s) | LA Galaxy (5 titles) |
| Television broadcasters |
|
| Website | mlssoccer.com |
 MLS Cup 2024 | |
The MLS Cup is the annual championship game of Major League Soccer (MLS) and the culmination of the MLS Cup playoffs. The game is held in November or December and pits the winner of the Eastern Conference Final against the winner of the Western Conference Final. The MLS Cup winner is awarded the title of league champion.
MLS uses a playoff tournament following the regular season to determine its annual league champion, a method common to every other major North American sports league. This format differs from most soccer leagues around the world, which consider the club with the most points at the end of the season to be the champion; MLS honors that achievement with the Supporters' Shield.
A U.S.-based team that wins the MLS Cup is awarded one of the country's four berths in the following season's CONCACAF Champions Cup.[1][2] The three Canadian teams of MLS can only qualify for the Champions Cup through the Canadian Championship—if any of them should win the MLS Cup, the Champions Cup berth tied to game is passed on to the highest-placed U.S.-based team in the overall regular season table that did not already qualify.[2]
The inaugural MLS Cup was held on October 20, 1996, in which D.C. United defeated the LA Galaxy. The Galaxy are the most successful team in MLS Cup history, winning a record fifth title in 2014.
Three trophy designs have been used for the MLS Cup: the Alan I. Rothenberg Trophy from 1996 through 1998, a redesigned Alan I. Rothenberg Trophy from 1999 through 2007, and the Philip F. Anschutz Trophy since 2008.[3]
- ^ Staff, SI com. "CONCACAF resolves qualifying problem for future CCL". SI.com. Retrieved December 10, 2018.
- ^ a b MLS Soccer Staff (October 21, 2018). "2019 CONCACAF Champions League qualifying process clarified". Retrieved December 10, 2018.
- ^ Mainka, Jurgen (October 28, 2008). "Breakfast at Tiffany's: New MLS Cup Trophy Unveiled". Red Bulls Reader. Red Bull New York. Retrieved March 28, 2011.