Major League Soccer is the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It has 30 teams, plays from late February through early December, and operates under a unique set of rules that make it different from every other soccer league in the world.
If you are new to MLS — perhaps you are getting into soccer ahead of the 2026 World Cup being held in the US, Canada, and Mexico — this guide explains everything you need to know about how the league works.
The Basic Structure
30 Teams, Two Conferences
MLS has 30 teams split into two conferences:
Eastern Conference (16 teams): Atlanta United, Charlotte FC, Chicago Fire, FC Cincinnati, Columbus Crew, D.C. United, Inter Miami, CF Montréal, Nashville SC, New England Revolution, New York City FC, New York Red Bulls, Orlando City, Philadelphia Union, Toronto FC, Minnesota United.
Western Conference (14 teams): Austin FC, Colorado Rapids, FC Dallas, Houston Dynamo, LA Galaxy, LAFC, Portland Timbers, Real Salt Lake, San Diego FC, San Jose Earthquakes, Seattle Sounders, Sporting Kansas City, St. Louis City, Vancouver Whitecaps.
Every team plays every other team at least once during the regular season, with additional games against conference opponents.
The Season Calendar
The MLS season runs from late February or early March through early December:
- Preseason: January-February
- Regular season: Late February/early March through mid-October (34 games per team)
- Playoffs: Late October through early December
- MLS Cup Final: Early December
- Off-season: December through February
This schedule means MLS runs during the European off-season (summer), which is why the league has historically been able to attract European stars looking for a new challenge. The 2026 World Cup will cause a mid-season break for the first time.
Regular Season
Each team plays 34 regular-season games: 17 at home and 17 away. Games are worth:
- 3 points for a win
- 1 point for a draw
- 0 points for a loss
There are no shootouts after draws in the regular season. Games can and do end in ties. The team with the most points at the end of the regular season wins the Supporters' Shield, which is the prize for the best overall regular-season record.
How to Watch
MLS has a league-wide deal with Apple TV through the MLS Season Pass. Every single game is streamed live on the Apple TV app. Some games also air on national television (Fox, FS1). For details on pricing and options, see our guides on how to watch MLS and MLS on Apple TV.
Playoffs and MLS Cup
The regular season determines seeding, but MLS Cup is the championship. Winning the regular season (Supporters' Shield) is prestigious, but the MLS Cup winner is considered the league champion.
Playoff Format
The top 9 teams from each conference qualify for the MLS Cup Playoffs:
- Wild Card Round: Seeds 6-9 play single-elimination matches (6 vs 9, 7 vs 8)
- Round One: Best-of-3 series featuring seeds 1-5 plus Wild Card winners
- Conference Semifinals: Single-elimination matches
- Conference Finals: Single-elimination matches
- MLS Cup: Single match, hosted by the team with the better record
The playoff format has changed multiple times throughout MLS history. The current format emphasizes that any team can win once they reach the postseason, which creates dramatic upsets. The 2016 Seattle Sounders won MLS Cup despite finishing with a losing record in the regular season.
The Salary Cap and Roster Rules
This is where MLS gets complicated — and different from European soccer.
The Salary Cap
MLS has a salary cap that limits how much each team can spend on player salaries. The base salary budget is approximately $5.47 million per team in 2026. This is dramatically lower than European leagues and is designed to promote competitive balance.
But the cap has several mechanisms that allow teams to spend more:
Designated Players (DPs)
Each team can sign up to 3 Designated Players whose salaries exceed the cap. Only a small portion of a DP's salary (~$683,750) counts against the salary budget. The rest is paid by the club's owners.
This is how MLS signs stars like Lionel Messi, Lorenzo Insigne, and Sergio Busquets. The Designated Player rule was created in 2007 specifically to sign David Beckham and has been the foundation of MLS's star-signing strategy ever since.
Allocation Money
Teams receive Targeted Allocation Money (TAM) and General Allocation Money (GAM) that can be used to "buy down" player salaries, effectively reducing what counts against the cap. This allows teams to sign players in the $500,000-$1.5 million range without them counting as Designated Players.
The U-22 Initiative
Teams can sign up to 3 players under 22 at elevated salaries through the U-22 Initiative, with the league subsidizing part of the cost. This encourages investment in young talent.
Why It Matters
The salary cap means MLS is more competitively balanced than European leagues. There is no equivalent of Manchester City or Bayern Munich spending 10x what the bottom teams spend. MLS has had 14 different MLS Cup winners, and the Supporters' Shield winner rarely repeats. This parity is intentional and is one of the defining features of the league.
For a deeper understanding of how the financial rules work, see our guides on MLS roster rules, MLS salaries, and MLS minimum salary.
Player Acquisition
MLS teams acquire players through several mechanisms, some familiar to soccer fans and some unique to American sports:
Transfers
Like any soccer league, MLS teams can buy and sell players from other leagues worldwide. Transfer fees have increased dramatically in recent years, with some MLS clubs now paying $10-15 million for players.
The MLS SuperDraft
MLS holds an annual draft where teams select players from college soccer. The draft's importance has declined as academies have improved, but it still produces some MLS starters each year.
Homegrown Players
Teams can sign players directly from their academy systems as Homegrown Players, bypassing the draft. This is the most important pathway for young American and Canadian players, and academy investment is now the primary way MLS teams develop talent.
Free Agency
Players who meet certain age and service-time requirements can become free agents and sign with any MLS team.
What Makes MLS Different
Single-Entity Structure
MLS operates as a single entity, meaning the league (not individual clubs) contracts all players. This is different from European leagues where clubs are independent businesses. In practice, clubs operate with significant autonomy, but the single-entity structure enables the salary cap and other parity mechanisms.
No Promotion or Relegation
Unlike European leagues, MLS teams cannot be relegated to a lower division. The 30 teams are fixed. New teams are added through expansion, which requires an expansion fee (currently $400+ million), a stadium plan, and league approval.
This means there are no relegation battles in MLS, which some fans see as reducing late-season drama for bottom-table teams. However, it also provides financial stability that allows clubs to invest in stadiums and academies without fear of losing top-division status.
Balanced Schedule
Every team plays every other team at least once. This ensures that fans see every star player visit their home stadium at least once per season — including Messi, who generates enormous attendance spikes on the road.
The Academy and Development System
MLS has invested heavily in youth development:
- MLS NEXT: The elite youth competition for academy teams (U-13 through U-19)
- MLS NEXT Pro: The reserve/development league where young players get professional minutes
- Academies: Every MLS club operates a youth academy that identifies and develops talent from age 12+
The development pipeline has produced players who have transferred to top European clubs, including several who have represented the US and Canadian national teams. Our Best Young Players in MLS ranking shows that academy graduates are already among the best players in the league.
Key Competitions
- MLS Cup: The league championship, determined through playoffs
- Supporters' Shield: Best regular-season record
- US Open Cup: Annual knockout tournament open to all levels of American soccer
- Leagues Cup: Summer tournament between MLS and Liga MX teams
- CONCACAF Champions Cup: Continental competition against Central American, Caribbean, and Mexican clubs
Getting Started
If you are watching MLS for the first time, here are the most useful entry points:
- Pick a team: Find your nearest MLS team or choose one based on playing style
- Watch the rivalries: El Tráfico, Hudson River Derby, Cascadia Cup are the most intense
- Follow the data: Our power rankings and position rankings show which teams and players are performing best
- Understand the rules: Standings explained, playoff format, salary cap
MLS is growing rapidly, especially with the 2026 World Cup on the horizon. There has never been a better time to start following American soccer.
See also: MLS History | Is MLS Growing? | MLS Season | Best MLS Teams of All Time