Inter Miami have wrapped up their 2025 Major League Soccer regular season. On Decision Day, Lionel Messi and his teammates secured a 5–2 win over Nashville SC and are now fully focused on the Eastern Conference playoffs.
The Herons finished third in the standings with 65 points, the result of 19 wins, 8 draws, and 7 losses. That puts them among the top contenders in the East, and in the first round of the playoffs they’ll face a team that’s had an inconsistent year—coincidentally, the same team they just defeated: Nashville SC, who finished sixth with 54 points.
During the regular season, Inter Miami and Nashville met twice, with the Herons winning both matches—2–1 at Chase Stadium and 5–2 at Geodis Park. Still, those results are no guarantee of what’s to come in the postseason.
In fact, Messi‘s team knows this all too well from their 2024 experience, when they were the top team in the regular season and winners of the Supporters’ Shield, only to be eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by Atlanta United, who had finished ninth.
Sam Surridge #9 of Nashville SC
When will the first round of the MLS playoffs be played?
Inter Miami will host Nashville SC at Chase Stadium in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference first-round playoff series. That round, which can last up to three games, will begin on Friday, October 24, and continue—if necessary—until Sunday, November 9.
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What is the format of the MLS playoffs?
MLS uses a knockout system that’s different from most soccer tournaments around the world. The first round is played as a best-of-three series. The higher-seeded team hosts Game 1, then the lower seed hosts Game 2.
Draws are not allowed in these matches. If a game is tied at the end of regulation, it goes straight to a penalty shootout to determine a winner. If one team wins both of the first two matches, they advance automatically. If each team wins one, a decisive third match is played at the stadium of the higher seed.
Starting in the Conference Semifinals, the format becomes single-elimination, with the higher seed hosting a one-off match. Those four games will be played between November 22 and 23. The winners will move on to the Conference Finals, scheduled for November 29 and 30, also in a single-match format. The MLS Cup Final will then take place on Saturday, December 6.
MLS first-round playoff matchups
In the Eastern Conference, Inter Miami vs Nashville SC stands out as one of the most intriguing first-round matchups in the MLS playoffs. But several other clashes are also worth watching. To start, Chicago Fire and Orlando City will face off to determine the final spot among the eight playoff teams—knowing that the winner will face Supporters’ Shield champions Philadelphia Union in the next round.
The Eastern Conference matchups are:
- FC Cincinnati vs Columbus Crew
- Inter Miami vs Nashville SC
- Charlotte FC vs New York City FC
- Philadelphia Union vs Orlando City/Chicago Fire
In the Western Conference, the matchups will be:
- San Diego FC vs Real Salt Lake/Portland
- Los Angeles FC vs Austin FC
- Minnesota United vs Seattle Sounders
- Vancouver Whitecaps vs FC Dallas
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