MLS Plots Bold Playoff Revolution: Double Elimination, 20 Teams and Five Divisions Coming in 2028

Major League Soccer is reportedly preparing the most dramatic playoff makeover in its history — one that could bring double elimination, a 20-team field, and a structure borrowed from Australian rules football to North American soccer. According to a report from the Guardian, multiple league and club sources — who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss internal planning — say the overhaul would debut in 2028, coinciding with MLS's long-planned shift to a fall-to-spring schedule. The Guardian says it has viewed a potential schedule for the new-look postseason. Under the proposal, the playoffs would begin in late April and unfold over roughly three weeks, with MLS Cup tentatively scheduled for Sunday, May 21, 2028. The most striking element is the reported double-elimination component, a format associated with Australian rules football rather than soccer. Such a system would require teams to suffer two defeats before exiting the playoffs — a significant departure from the straight knockout and series-based formats MLS has employed in recent years. But the postseason is only part of the equation. The playoff changes would reportedly arrive alongside an equally significant regular-season redesign: MLS would scrap its familiar Eastern and Western Conference structure in favor of a five-division setup, reshaping how the league organizes competition, travel, and rivalries. For a league that has never shied away from experimenting with its postseason format, the proposal represents arguably its boldest swing yet. Expanding the playoff field to as many as 20 teams would give more clubs a route to silverware, though it would inevitably raise fresh questions about competitive balance in an ever-expanding league. Nothing has been formally confirmed. The plans remain internal proposals, and details could still evolve before any official announcement is made. Still, the vision sketched out to the Guardian suggests league executives are thinking far beyond incremental tweaks as MLS prepares for its new calendar era. For now, fans can only imagine the possibilities: springtime playoffs, divisions replacing conferences, and a bracket where one bad night no longer ends a season. If the plans come to fruition, the road to MLS Cup in 2028 will look unlike anything the league has ever staged. Source: Guardian Football.