MLS Table, Standings & Form Guide

Modified: September 12, 2022 - Dustin Williams

Read below to find the current updated MLS table, standings and form guide. This is your one-stop shop for all of the updated ongoings throughout Major League Soccer.

Major League Soccer, or most commonly known as the MLS, is the biggest soccer league in the United States. It currently features 28 different teams competing in it each season after adding a number of expansion franchises to the league in recent years.

Be sure to check out this page regularly to see the updated league table from both the Western and Eastern Conference. This will give you the up-to-date look of each of the league tables, as well as the outlook of the Playoffs as and when they approach.

Unlike many of the major European leagues such as the Premier League, Serie A and La Liga, the MLS is run over the course of a calendar year, taking its annual break throughout the winter months.

Check out the current MLS table below, as well as our handy form guide that tells you who is on a winning streak and who is sliding down the standings. You can also find the updated list of the MLS top scorers and upcoming MLS fixtures from this season here.

MLS Table

MLS Table Format

As previously mentioned, there are some distinct differences between the way Major League Soccer is run compared to traditional European leagues. The MLS adopts a style that is in tune with more traditional American sports such as Football, Basketball and Baseball in that it has a Regular Season and Playoffs.

During the Regular Season, teams compete against each other to then earn a place in the Playoffs where they will then play to win the MLS Cup. Each team plays 34 matches over the course of the Regular Season, 17 at home and 17 away as well as eight cross-conference games. Seven of the 14 teams in each conference qualify for the Playoffs based on their league position during the Regular Season. The team that finishes top of each conference will receive a bye into the Playoff Conference semifinals, whilst the remaining 12 teams will compete in the first round of the Playoffs.

The Playoffs are a one-and-done format that takes place over the course over four rounds — First Round, Conference Semifinals, Conference Finals and MLS Cup Final. These single elimination games take place over the course over three weeks at the end of the Regular Season and the team’s seeding is determined by their place in the league table. Theoretically, the higher up the table you finish, the easier your path to the MLS Cup will be and will give you home advantage in more Playoff games.

Unlike European leagues, the MLS does not have any promotion or relegation to/from the league, eliminating the jeopardy that most teams have. Teams that finish towards the lower end of the table can also boost their chances of improving in the following season through the MLS SuperDraft.

There are also four CONCACAF Champions League places up for grabs from the MLS each season. Two places go automatically to the teams that finish top of both the Western and Eastern Conference, while another goes to the team that finishes in second place of the Conference in which the winner isn’t from. The other CONCACAF Champions League place goes to the winner of the MLS Cup, but if the winner finished the Regular Season in the top two places of their conference during the Regular Season then the top two teams from both conferences will qualify for the following year’s CONCACAF Champions League.