The MLS Cup Playoffs remain unchanged, but what should NYCFC fans know? | OneFootball

The Round One Best-of-3 series is not necessarily the most popular part of the MLS Cup Playoffs. The issue with the round is that teams, like what New York City FC did over the past two years, could possibly play a team three times. The Pigeons had to beat FC Cincinnati in three matches back in 2024 and Charlotte FC in 2025. Then, the rest of the playoffs are single games, which makes the postseason feel lopsided.

Alas, Major League Soccer revealed that the playoffs will stay the same in 2026, revealing the format and dates on Monday. As such, the Best-of-3 series is not going away, which means fans of NYCFC and the other teams will still have to deal with that round.

NYCFC knows the postseason schedule

However, there are slight changes to the postseason, and that surrounds the schedule. Due to the FIFA World Cup, the league is pausing the season from May 25 through July 16. As such, the regular season will finish a few weeks later compared to previous years, with Decision Day on November 7. As a result of the later finish, the postseason will end a few weeks later, too.

There is some good news, though, that will make NYCFC fans very happy. In 2026, MLS revealed that the postseason will not be broken up due to the international break. Instead, after Decision Day, the teams will pause for the November international break, and then the postseason will not be interrupted.

It was annoying that the playoffs paused the way they did, which does not occur in other major sports leagues. So, fans will see a month of the playoffs, starting with the Wild Card matches on Wednesday, November 18. Like the last few playoffs, the eighth and ninth-place teams from each conference will play to enter the first round.

Then, that Best-of-3 series will take place from Friday, November 20, through Wednesday, December 2. Hopefully, MLS will be smart and not schedule any playoff games on Thanksgiving, for that will decrease viewership due to the holiday and NFL games. If they do, then, pending NYCFC is in the postseason, for nothing is given, then ideally the Boys in Blue will not play that day.

Afterward, the Conference Semifinals will occur on Saturday, December 5, and Sunday, December 7, and the Conference Finals will take place on Friday, December 11, and Saturday, December 12.

Finally, the MLS Cup, which will take place for the final time in December, will be on Friday, December 18, moving the finals from a Saturday to Friday. Whether NYCFC will make the big game for the first time since 2021 is yet to be seen.

This is good information to know about the postseason, and supporters can make plans just in case the club makes it all the way through the playoffs. NYCFC will hopefully make another run this season, and the start of the 2026 campaign is providing hope.