The MLS Cup chase rolls on, and the spotlight now shifts to the Eastern and Western Conference semifinals, the stage where the pressure really cranks up.
Only eight sides are still standing after a heart-pounding opening round that saw several best-of-three showdowns pushed to the brink. From here, the safety nets are gone. Every matchup is do-or-die, one shot to survive and move a step closer to lifting the league's biggest prize
One thing is certain: MLS will be crowning a brand-new champion in 2025… and Lionel Messi is still on the prowl for his first MLS Cup. Buckle up. The Philadelphia Union and newcomers San Diego FC sit atop their respective brackets as the No. 1 seeds, but this field is far from settled.
The Union roll into the postseason armed with the Supporters' Shield for the second time in six seasons after a strong 20-8-6 campaign. On the surface, they look like the side to chase, but only if you squint. Recent history has shown that the regular-season king rarely survives the playoff gauntlet.
So while Philadelphia enter the fray as a "soft favorite," this is a knockout tournament where reputations can evaporate overnight. With silverware and hefty prize money dangling at the finish line, every team has the incentive, and the belief, to throw punches until the very last whistle.
But aside from the glory and bragging rights, just what financial rewards are up for grabs for the participants? GOAL takes a look...
How is the prize pot distributed in the MLS?
As there is no promotion or relegation system in MLS, teams aren't awarded money based on their league position as seen in the Premier League. The postseason payday only kicks in once a club actually books its ticket to the MLS Playoffs. From that moment on, the deeper a team marches into the bracket, the richer the reward, with the prize money climbing at every rung of the ladder.
The total prize money for the MLS Cup is confirmed to be shared amongst the winners, runners-up, and teams who finished in the knockout stages. There is no prize money adjusted for the winners of the two wild-card matches.
As for the league’s financial breakdown, MLS handed out roughly $1 million in postseason bonuses last year (2024), divided among the contenders as follows:
How much does the 2025 MLS Cup champion earn?
Although Major League Soccer has not yet revealed any official figures for the 2025 competition, it is understood that the overall prize pool for the playoffs will not change from last year, when it totalled approximately $1m and was distributed as follows:
| Stage | Prize money |
|---|---|
| Conference semi-finals | $47,500 |
| Conference finals | $100,000 |
| MLS Cup final runners-up | $150,000 |
| MLS Cup final winners | $300,000 |
As well as picking up the MLS Cup trophy itself and being assured of a place in the Concacaf Champions League in 2025, LA Galaxy took home a cool $300,000 as tournament winners last year.
Runners-up New York Red Bulls earned a not-too-shabby $150,000, with the two losing Conference finalists Seattle Sounders and Orlando City getting $100,000 for their troubles.
The paycheck gets significantly lower for those who didn't get past the Conference Semifinals, with all four teams getting $47,500 each. As for the other playoff teams who lost in the first round, they were granted a paltry $20,000.
How does the prize money in the 2025 MLS Cup compare to other major competitions?
The prize pot for the 2025 MLS Cup is dwarfed massively by that of the Premier League, which is the richest football league on the planet and is boosted significantly by the influx of lucrative television deals from multiple local and international broadcasters that have flooded into the game in England.
Last season, the 20 clubs banked anywhere between £174.9 million ($234.3 million) and £109.2 million ($146.3 million) for their participation in the Premier League. Southampton, who finished rock-bottom, took home over $146 million, which is well over 400 times the entire payout involved in the MLS Cup.
In the UEFA Champions League, participating clubs earn around $1.1 million just for making it to the knockout stages & $2.3m for a League phase victory. Win the national cup in Brazil and your club pockets a staggering $18 million, a payout that would make most leagues blush. Take home the Brazilian league title instead, and you're still banking a hefty $10 million.
Cross the border into Argentina, though, and the contrast is striking. Lifting the league trophy there brings in a far more modest $500,000.
Even the prize pool for the 2025 Leagues Cup, featuring all 47 teams from MLS and Liga MX, was in the ballpark of $40 million, with the champions, Seattle Sounders, receiving close to $2 million.