League introduces play-in round, while Pick-Your-Opponent returns for first two rounds of playoffs
NEW YORK, NEW YORK (September 1, 2026) – MLS NEXT Pro today announced an update to the League’s Playoff format for 2026. For the first time in League history, a Play-in Round will be held to determine the last two teams to qualify for the Playoffs. The 2026 Playoffs will continue to feature the fan-favorite Pick-Your-Opponent format, the League’s unique postseason match-up mechanism. Final seeding of the 2026 MLS NEXT Pro regular season will be determined on Decision Day on Sunday, September 20. Â
Decision Day
All 30 MLS NEXT Pro teams take the field on Decision Day on September 20 – 16 Eastern Conference teams play their final matches of the 2026 regular season simultaneously at 2 p.m. ET, while 14 Western Conference teams close the regular season with concurrent matches at 5 p.m. ET. All Decision Day matches will air on both OneFootball.com and MLSNEXTPro.com.Â
Playoff Qualifications
Seven teams automatically qualify from each Conference (14 total): the two Division Champions plus the next five teams with the most points. The winners of the Play-in Round matches will join the seven teams in each conference to round out the playoff field at eight teams per Conference (16 total).
Play-in Round
Following Decision Day, the No. 8 and No. 9 seeds in each conference will face off in a single-elimination match, hosted by each No. 8 seed. The winners of the Play-in matches will advance as the final No. 8 seeds in the 2026 MLS NEXT Pro Playoffs.
Pick-Your-Opponent
MLS NEXT Pro’s Pick-Your-Opponent format returns for the fourth consecutive year and will be utilized during the first two rounds of the 2026 Playoffs: the Conference Quarterfinals and Conference Semifinals. Higher seeded teams will host and select their opponents from lower seeds.
The 2026 MLS NEXT Pro Playoffs round-by-round format and schedule follows (17 total matches):
- Play-in Round: October 9 – 11 (one match per conference)
- No. 8 vs. No. 9 seeds in each conference
- Conference Quarterfinals: October 16 – 18 (four matches per conference)
- No. 1-3 seeds in each conference will host and select their opponent from the No. 5-8 seeds (with No. 8 being the winner of the Play-in Round)
No. 4 seed will host the remaining Club
- No. 1-3 seeds in each conference will host and select their opponent from the No. 5-8 seeds (with No. 8 being the winner of the Play-in Round)
- Conference Semifinals: October 23 – 25 (two matches per conference)
- The highest remaining seed in each conference will select and host an opponent from the two lowest seeded teams
- The two remaining Clubs will face each other, with the higher of the two seeds hosting
- Conference Finals: October 30 – November 1 (one match per conference)
- The higher remaining seed in each conference will host the other remaining Club
- MLS NEXT Pro Cup: November 6 – 8 (one match)
- The Club with the highest regular season points total will host the other remaining Club
All 2026 MLS NEXT Pro Playoff matches and MLS NEXT Pro Cup will air live on OneFootball.com and MLSNEXTPro.com.
Chattanooga FC currently sits in second place in the Eastern Conference standings with three matches remaining in the regular season.
Next up
The Boys in Blue will drive two hours west on Wednesday, September 9 to face Southeast Division rivals Huntsville City FC before returning to Fort Finley for the club's final home match of the 2026 regular season on Sunday, September 13 against Atlanta United 2 at 3:00 p.m. for a CFC Homecoming celebration presented by Erlanger. Tickets are available now. CFC will wrap up the regular season at Chicago Fire FC II on Decision Day on September 20.
About Chattanooga Football Club
Chattanooga Football Club was founded in 2009. The CFC Men's professional team competes in MLS NEXT Pro, while the CFC Women's pre-professional team competes in the Women's Premier Soccer League (WPSL). Chattanooga Football Club became the first soccer club to offer true ownership to the fans in 2019 with 3,200+ investors from Chattanooga, all 50 states, and 31 countries.
Chattanooga FC Youth serves children from U2-U18, partnering with Soccer Shots (U2-U6) and running its own programming for kindergarten through 12th grade. It is the region's most successful youth soccer club, giving players a pathway from rec soccer to competitive soccer to college soccer to pro soccer for players with that goal.Â
About MLS NEXT Pro
Launched in 2022 by Major League Soccer, MLS NEXT Pro is a professional men’s soccer league in the United States and Canada that completes the pro player pathway from MLS NEXT to MLS first teams. MLS NEXT Pro continues to grow the game through innovation and access, bringing professional soccer to new communities and creating opportunities both on and off the field. MLS NEXT Pro celebrates its fifth season in 2026 with 30 teams, 27 MLS-affiliated and three independent, Carolina Core FC, Chattanooga FC and Connecticut United FC. Additional MLS-affiliated and independent clubs will join in the years ahead, including Forest City Cleveland, Jacksonville Armada FC, AC Grand Rapids, and The Island FC. For more information about MLS NEXT Pro, visit mlsnextpro.com.
