Halloween is in the rearview mirror, the jack-o’-lanterns are giving way to cornucopias and pumpkin spice lattes are making way for apple cider. November has arrived and, with it, comes one of the most chaotic occasions on the Major League Soccer calendar: Decision Day.

Just a week ago, CF Montréal and Sporting Kansas City were the only two teams eliminated from postseason contention. Since then, the playoff picture has become considerably clearer, with Atlanta United, D.C. United, Austin FC and San Diego FC seeing their hopes extinguished following midweek defeats.

Columbus Crew’s 3-0 victory against D.C. on Saturday delivered another crushing blow, eliminating New York Red Bulls, New York City FC and Toronto FC from the playoff race. But while nine teams have seen their postseason dreams dashed, plenty remains up for grabs. From home-field advantage and playoff seeding to the final Wild Card spots, the stakes couldn’t be higher as MLS prepares for one last regular season showdown.

With eight matches kicking off simultaneously at 4 p.m. ET (1 p.m. PT) on Saturday and another seven following at 7 p.m. (4 p.m. PT), Decision Day promises to be an emotional rollercoaster. Here's everything at stake heading into the final matchday of the 2026 MLS regular season.

Western Conference

Who Has Clinched Playoffs?

Last year, Vancouver Whitecaps narrowly missed out on finishing first in the Western Conference due to Decision Day dramatics; however, they would have the last laugh after beating FC Dallas, Los Angeles FC and San Diego FC en route to their maiden MLS Cup final. This time around, Vancouver have wrapped up the first seed with time to spare, and they are guaranteed home-field advantage throughout the Western Conference playoffs.

While Vancouver will be seeking to demolish Canadian rivals Montréal, FC Dallas will be looking to bounce back from their stalemate with current Wooden Spoon frontrunners Sporting Kansas City. If Dallas lose to Colorado Rapids, and San Jose Earthquakes win at Minnesota United, then San Jose will leapfrog Dallas in second place.

San Jose could finish anywhere from second to fifth; Bruce Arena’s side sits three points behind Dallas and one above St. Louis CITY and Houston Dynamo. Houston currently trail the U.S. Open Cup champions on goal differential, and they have no other option but to defeat St. Louis in the Space City in order to finish above them.

A win for either side, combined with San Jose failing to win, would see Houston/St. Louis finish third in the West. On the other hand, if San Jose win, then Houston and St. Louis will face off in the first round of the playoffs with the higher-ranked team hosting Game One and Game Three (if necessary).

Last but not least, LAFC clinched their playoff spot after storming back from two goals down and drawing 2–2 against crosstown rivals LA Galaxy in El Tráfico. They are all but guaranteed to finish sixth, and they will be looking to end their three-match winless streak and secure their first away win since Jul. 17 when they take on Seattle Sounders.

Who Is Still Fighting for a Playoff Spot?

It is shaping up to be an exhilarating battle for the final playoff spots in the Western Conference. LA Galaxy currently occupy the seventh position, sitting one point above Portland Timbers, Colorado and Seattle, two above Real Salt Lake and three above Minnesota United.

The Galaxy can secure an automatic playoff berth with a victory at Salt Lake, but the same cannot be said about their opponents. In addition to beating the Galaxy, RSL must also count on Portland losing at Austin, and they’ll also need Dallas and LAFC to beat Colorado and Seattle, respectively.

Even with a win against San Jose, Minnesota probably won’t be able to secure an automatic playoff berth, but they could usurp Portland/Colorado in the wild card spots. Eighth-place will host ninth-place in a one-off match, with the winner facing off against Vancouver in the opening round.

With six teams fighting for their playoff lives, this upcoming Decision Day promises to be one of the most dramatic in recent memory.

Eastern Conference

Who Has Clinched Playoffs?

Nashville SC have already won their first-ever Supporters’ Shield. Now, with a win or draw at FC Cincinnati, they can surpass the league record for the most points in a single season (74), set by Inter Miami’s 2024 squad.

Miami usurped New England Revolution in second place after their come-from-behind 2–1 victory at Gillette Stadium. They now sit one point above the Revs. Miami and New England are guaranteed to finish in second and third place; the only question is what the order will be. While Miami will host Charlotte FC on Saturday, New England travel to Orlando City. Both are fiesty opponents.

Chicago Fire are guaranteed to face Charlotte FC in the opening round of the playoffs, and it’s likely that the opening match will be in the Windy City. Charlotte trail Chicago by two points, and they must beat Miami in order to have any chance of finishing fourth. However, they also need Columbus Crew to do them a solid by avoiding defeat in Chicago. If these two things happen, Charlotte will finish fourth.

Philadelphia Union clinched playoffs last Wednesday through a scoreless draw against Nashville. Cincinnati actually punched their own ticket with a thrilling win over Philly on Saturday.

Columbus Crew and Orlando City secured playoff spots over the weekend, currently occupying the two Wild Card seeds.

Who Is Still Fighting for an Automatic Playoff Spot?

In the Western Conference, there are a handful of teams that have yet to clinch playoffs; however, this isn’t the case in the East. All nine teams advancing to the postseason are known, and the other six have made peace with their fate. Nevertheless, that doesn’t necessarily mean that Decision Day won't have major implications for several Eastern Conference clubs.

Philadelphia Union currently sit sixth in the East, one point above Cincinnati, three above Columbus, and four above Orlando. If the Union can avoid a home defeat against Toronto, then they will confirm their spot in the opening round of the playoffs. If they lose, then they could fall into the wild card spots.

Cincinnati, Columbus and Philadelphia are all competing for the right to play at least two playoff matches as opposed to being cast into a win-or-go-home match. Orlando are guaranteed to be playing in the wild card match for the second-straight year, but they need to beat New England and hope that Chicago beat Columbus in order to secure hosting privileges.