How many games do MLS teams play in a season? | OneFootball

MLS teams play four less games in a season than clubs across the five biggest leagues in Europe.

Each season, Major League Soccer’s 29 teams begin a new campaign that ends with only one teamhoisting the coveted MLS Cup. The MLS Regular Season typically kicks off at the end of February andlasts until October. Since MLS players compete during the summer, they often must choosebetween their domestic club and international duty.

Although the schedule differs slightly each year, the number of games MLS teams play in a seasonalways remains the same.

Apr 30, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Union fans cheer for midfielder Daniel / Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

How many games do MLS teams play in a season?

MLS teams play 34 games in a season. All 29 teams play 17 home games and 17 away games in the MLS Regular Season.

Unlike other prominent leagues in Europe, like the Premier League and La Liga, the MLS is broken up into two conferences—the Eastern Conference and the Western Conference. Although most matches on the calendar are intra-conference games, there are also 6 to 7 cross-conference matchups for each club.

For every win, a team receives three points. A draw rewards both clubs with only one point, and a lossresults in zero points. The top nine teams from each conference after 34 games qualify for the MLS Cup Playoffs. The two teams that survive the MLS Cup Playoffs bracket meet in a championship game in early December.

Here's all the MLS Eastern Conference teams:

There are 15 total teams in the Eastern Conference.

MLS Western Conference teams

Here's all the MLS Western Conference teams:

The Western Conference only contains 14 clubs.

Be sure to catch all the 2024 MLS action on Apple TV.