MLS Cup

The MLS Cup is the big championship game of Major League Soccer. It happens every year in November or December and is the last game of the MLS Cup playoffs. The two teams that win their conferences—the Eastern and the Western—play in the MLS Cup to see who becomes the league champion.

Unlike most soccer leagues around the world, MLS uses a playoff system after the regular season to pick its champion. Other big sports leagues in the United States and Canada also use this playoff style. The team with the most points during the regular season is honored with the Supporters' Shield, but the real champion is decided in the MLS Cup.

The winner of the MLS Cup gets to play in the next season's CONCACAF Champions Cup.

The first ever MLS Cup was played on October 20, 1996, where D.C. United beat the LA Galaxy. The LA Galaxy has won the most MLS Cups, with six titles so far.

Fun Facts

The MLS Cup is always played as a single game, not a series of games.
The team that wins the MLS Cup gets a special trophy called the Philip F. Anschutz Trophy.
Sometimes, the MVP award goes to a goalkeeper, like Tony Meola or Nick Rimando.

Venues

The MLS Cup has been held in many places. Some of the venues include:

Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California
BMO Field in Toronto, Ontario
Lumen Field in Seattle, Washington

Most Valuable Player

After each championship game, a player from the winning team is named the Most Valuable Player (MVP). Sometimes, this is a goalkeeper who helped their team win by stopping important shots.