As the 2026 MLS regular season is reaching its most critical point of the season, there are still plenty of teams trying to get above the red line in the playoff race. The majority of the 30 MLS teams have six matches to play in the regular season, which concludes on November 7th with Decision Day. Supporters’ Shield-leading Nashville SC is the only club to have clinched a playoff spot so far and remain well in front to potentially lift the Shield ahead of schedule.The battle to finish in the top four of the Eastern Conference is a tight one, with both the New England Revolution and reigning MLS Cup holders Inter Miami sitting tied in second place. Charlotte FC, the Chicago Fire and a resurgent Philadelphia Union side are also in the mix, with Philadelphia currently riding a 12-match unbeaten run in MLS play since the World Cup break. There is currently a six-point gap between second and sixth place in the Eastern Conference, with plenty of head-to-head matchups still on the horizon.The battle to seal the last spots in the Eastern Conference has also been intense with only five points separating 7th-12th place. The New York Red Bulls and NYCFC currently hold the last two playoff spots in the East, with FC Cincinnati sitting on the outside due to goal differential. D.C. United currently sits in 11th place in the Eastern Conference and are just three points behind the aforementioned New York City teams and FC Cincinnati. The Columbus Crew and Toronto FC are currently tied for 12th place and also remain alive in the hunt themselves. As for the Western Conference, the Vancouver Whitecaps currently sit in top spot but are just three points clear of both St. Louis City SC and FC Dallas. St. Louis are currently riding a 17-game unbeaten run and are preparing to compete in the final of the U.S. Open Cup on October 21 against the Columbus Crew, with hopes of securing the first title in club history.The San Jose Earthquakes and the Houston Dynamo are closing on on St. Louis, sitting just two and three points respectively behind them. Slumping LAFC will look to catch up to the leaders in the West, as they sit in sixth place, as they are in the midst of a in a 10-game free-fall. Xavi Tamarit will look to turn the tide after taking over on an interim basis for the fired Marc Dos Santos.The final three West playoff spots are currently being held by the Colorado Rapids, the LA Galaxy and the Seattle Sounders, but several clubs are in hot pursuit. The Portland Timbers, Real Salt Lake, San Diego FC and Austin FC will try to catch them with only four points separating seventh to 13th place.With MLS play set to resume after the international break on October 10th, here’s a closer look at how both standings look and the remaining schedules for all clubs: Eastern ConferenceNashville SC – 60 points Remaining Schedule: 10/10: @Austin FC, 10/14: vs. Sporting Kansas City, 10/17: @San Jose Earthquakes, 10/24: @Montreal FC, 11/1: vs. New York Red Bulls, 11/7: @FC Cincinnati New England Revolution- 46 pointsRemaining Schedule: 10/10: vs. Seattle Sounders, 10/14: @FC Cincinnati, 10/17: vs. Chicago Fire, 10/24: @Philadelphia Union, 10/28: vs. New York Red Bulls, 11/1: vs. Inter Miami, 11/7:@Orlando City SC Inter Miami- 46 points Remaining Schedule: 10/10: vs. D.C. United, 10/14: vs. New York City FC, 10/17: @Atlanta United, 10/24: @New York Red Bulls, 10/28: vs. FC Cincinnati, 11/1: @New England Revolution, 11/7: vs. FC Charlotte.FC Charlotte- 43 pointsRemaining Schedule: 10/10: vs. FC Dallas, 10/14: @Columbus Crew, 10/17: @Philadelphia Union, 10/24: @Portland Timbers, 10/28: vs. CF Montreal,10/31: vs. Orlando City SC, 11/7: @Inter Miami Chicago Fire FC- 42 pointsRemaining Schedule: 10/10: vs. New York City FC, 10/14: vs. Philadelphia Union, 10/17: @New England Revolution, 10/24 @Atlanta United, 10/28: vs. Orlando City SC, 10/31: @Colorado Rapids, 11/7: vs. Columbus Crew.Philadelphia Union- 39 points Remaining Schedule: 10/10: vs. Real Salt Lake, 10/14: @Chicago Fire, 10/17: vs. Charlotte FC,10/24: vs. New England Revolution, 10/28: @Nashville SC, 10/31: @FC Cincinnati, 11/7: vs. Toronto FC Orlando City SC- 34 points Remaining Schedule: 10/10: vs. Columbus Crew 10/17: @ Toronto FC, 10/17: vs. D.C. United, 10/24: vs. New York City FC, 10/28: @Chicago Fire, 10/31: @ Charlotte FC, 11/7: vs. New England Revolution. New York Red Bulls- 33 points Remaining Schedule: 10/10: vs. San Diego FC, 10/14: @D.C. United, 10/17: vs. Toronto FC, 10/24: vs. Inter Miami, 10/28: @New England Revolution, 11/1: @Nashville SC, 11/7: vs. Atlanta United. New York City FC – 33 points Remaining Schedule: 10/10: @Chicago Fire, 10/14: @Inter Miami, 10/17: vs. LAFC, 10/24: @Orlando City SC, 10/28: vs. Atlanta United, 10/31: vs. CF Montreal, 11/7: @D.C. United. FC Cincinnati- 33 points Remaining Schedule: 10/10: @Atlanta United, 10/14: vs. New England Revolution, 10/18: vs. Columbus Crew, 10/21: vs. D.C. United, 10/24: @D.C. United, 10/28: @Inter Miami, 10/31: vs. Philadelphia Union, 11/7: vs. Nashville SC.D.C. United- 30 pointsRemaining Schedule: 10/10: @Inter Miami, 10/14: vs. New York Red Bulls, 10/17: @Orlando City SC, 10/21: @FC Cincinnati, 10/24: vs. FC Cincinnati, 10/31: @Columbus Crew, 11/7: vs. New York City FC. Other Teams in playoff contention: Columbus Crew- 29 pointsToronto FC – 29 pointsAtlanta United – 27 pointsCF Montreal – 24 pointsWestern ConferenceVancouver Whitecaps – 50 pointsRemaining Schedule: 10/6: @Chicago Fire, 10/10: @LAFC, 10/14: @St.Louis City SC, 10/17: @Austin FC, 10/24: @Colorado Rapids, 10/28: vs. San Diego FC, 11/1: vs. Seattle Sounders, 11/7: @ CF MontrealSt. Louis City SC- 47 points Remaining Schedule: 10/11: vs. LA Galaxy, 10/14: vs. Vancouver Whitecaps, 10/17: @Minnesota United, 10/24: @Real Salt Lake, 10/28: vs. Portland Timbers, 10/31: vs. San Diego FC, 11/7: @Houston Dynamo 3. FC Dallas – 47 pointsRemaining Schedule: 10/10: @Charlotte FC, 10/14: vs. Seattle Sounders, 10/17: @Houston Dynamo, 10/24: vs. San Jose Earthquakes, 10/28: vs. Columbus Crew, 10/31: @Sporting Kansas City, 11/7: vs. Colorado Rapids 4. San Jose Earthquakes- 45 points Remaining Schedule: 10/10: @Colorado Rapids, 10/14: @Real Salt Lake, 10/17: vs. Nashville SC, 10/24: @FC Dallas, 10/28: vs. Colorado Rapids 10/31: vs. Real Salt Lake, 11/7: @Minnesota United5. Houston Dynamo – 44 ptsRemaining Schedule: 10/10: @Minnesota United, 10/14: @San Diego FC, 10/17: vs. FC Dallas, 10/24: vs. Minnesota United, 10/28: @Seattle Sounders, 11/1: @Portland Timbers, 11/7: vs. St. Louis City SC 6. LAFC- 41 points Remaining Schedule: 10/10: vs. Vancouver Whitecaps, 10/14: vs. Austin FC, 10/17: @New York City FC, 10/25: vs. LA Galaxy, 11/1: vs. Minnesota United, 11/7: @Seattle Sounders 7. Seattle Sounders – 38 pointsRemaining Schedule: 10/10: @New England Revolution, 10/14: @FC Dallas, 10/17: vs. CF Montreal, 10/24: @San Diego FC, 10/28: vs. Houston Dynamo, 11/1: @Vancouver Whitecaps, 11/7: vs. LAFC 8. Colorado Rapids – 36 pointsRemaining Schedule: 10/10: vs. San Jose Earthquakes, 10/14: vs. Minnesota United, 10/17: @Portland Timbers, 10/24: vs. Vancouver Whitecaps, 10/28: @San Jose Earthquakes, 10/31: vs. Chicago Fire, 11/7: @FC Dallas 9. Los Angeles Galaxy- 36 points Remaining Schedule: 10/11: @St. Louis City SC, 10/14: vs. Portland Timbers, 10/17: vs. San Diego FC, 10/25: @LAFC, 10/31: vs. Austin FC, 11/7: @Real Salt Lake10. Portland Timbers – 32 points Remaining Schedule:10/10: @Sporting Kansas City, 10/14: @LA Galaxy, 10/17: vs. Colorado Rapids, 10/24: vs. Charlotte FC, 11/1: vs.Houston Dynamo, 11/7: @Austin FC11. Real Salt Lake – 32 pointsRemaining Schedule: 10/10: @Philadelphia Union, 10/14: vs. San Jose Earthquakes, 10/17: @Sporting Kansas City, 10/24: vs. St. Louis City SC, 10/28: @Austin FC, 10/31: @San Jose Earthquakes, 11/7: vs. LA Galaxy Other teams in playoff contention: 12. San Diego FC – 32 points 13. Austin FC – 31 points 14. Minnesota United – 29 points15. Sporting Kansas City- 21 points