‘Caps will face either Seattle Sounders FC or Real Salt Lake in Round One Best-of-3 Series
VANCOUVER, BC – Following a historic MLS regular season, Western Conference top seed Vancouver Whitecaps FC will host the 2026 MLS Cup Playoffs Round One Best-of-3 Series Game 1 on Sunday, November 22. Kickoff at BC Place is set for 6:30 p.m. PCT. Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2026 MLS Cup Playoffs are presented by BLG, BMO, and TELUS.
- Tickets for the first MLS Cup Playoffs match at BC Place are on sale now at ticketmaster.ca/whitecaps. Visit whitecapsfc.com/tickets or email sales@whitecapsfc.com for more information.
“The excitement and passion of our supporters have been incredible throughout the season, and I want to sincerely thank every one of them for their extraordinary support,” said Axel Schuster, Whitecaps FC CEO. “We saw that firsthand at our most recent home match, when demand was so strong that we opened the upper bowl at BC Place. We also experienced it during our amazing playoff run last year, when certain ticket categories sold out well in advance of matchday. With excitement building again, I strongly encourage everyone planning to join us to secure their tickets early. The energy and support of our fans create a tremendous home-field advantage, and we can’t wait to experience that atmosphere again as we begin our playoff journey.”
The 'Caps will face the winner of the Western Conference Wild Card match between eighth-seeded Seattle Sounders FC and ninth-seeded Real Salt Lake on Thursday, November 19 at Lumen Field in Seattle, Washington. Watch the Wild Card match live on Apple TV at 8 p.m. PCT.
In the Round One Best-of-3 Series, Vancouver will host Game 1 before travelling for Game 2. If necessary, Game 3 will return to BC Place. If a match is tied at the end of regulation during the Wild Card and Best-of-3 Series, no extra time will be played, and teams will participate in penalty kicks to determine the winner. The first team to win two matches in the Best-of-3 Series will advance to the 2026 MLS Cup Playoffs Conference Semifinals. As the Western Conference's top seed, Whitecaps FC will have home-field advantage throughout the conference playoffs.
Vancouver Whitecaps FC Round One Best-of-3 Series
- Game 1: Sunday, November 22 – BC Place at 6:30 p.m. PCT - Apple TV, TSN, RDS, 730 CKNW & Connect FM 91.5
- Game 2: Friday, November 27 – Lumen Field or America First Field at 8 p.m. PCT - Apple TV, FS1, FOX Deportes, 730 CKNW
- Game 3 (if necessary): Wednesday, December 2 – BC Place – Kickoff time TBC - Apple TV, 730 CKNW & Connect FM 91.5
Every match of the 2026 MLS Cup Playoffs will be available on Apple TV in more than 100 countries and regions, offering fans a single destination to watch their favorite teams with no blackouts. MLS Cup will air on FOX and FOX Deportes in the U.S. and on TSN and RDS in Canada, while select additional playoff matches will air on FS1, FOX Deportes, TSN and RDS.
This marks the fourth consecutive season that Whitecaps FC have qualified for the MLS Cup Playoffs and the fifth time in six years. During the 2026 regular season, the 'Caps set club records in MLS for points (64), wins (19), goals scored (74), goals allowed (34) and goal differential (+40).
Vancouver Whitecaps FC vs. Seattle Sounders FC
The rivalry between Vancouver and Seattle dates back more than 50 years, with both clubs making their debuts in the North American Soccer League in 1974. The two sides have met 160 times in official competition, with Seattle holding a 76W-56L-28D advantage in the all-time series.
Vancouver won both regular season meetings this year, earning a 2-0 victory at Lumen Field on August 16 before delivering a 5-1 win over their Cascadia rivals on November 1. The five goals marked the most Vancouver has scored against Seattle in an MLS match.
The clubs also met in the 2026 Concacaf Champions Cup Round of 16, with Seattle advancing 5-1 on aggregate after winning 3-0 at BC Place on March 12 and 2-1 at ONE Spokane Stadium in Spokane, Washington on March 18.
Their only previous MLS Cup Playoffs meeting came in the 2017 Western Conference Semifinals, when Seattle advanced with a 2-0 aggregate victory.
Vancouver Whitecaps FC vs. Real Salt Lake
Vancouver and Real Salt Lake have met 37 times in MLS regular season play, with the 'Caps holding a 17W-15L-5D advantage dating back to 2011. The clubs have yet to meet in cup competition.
The 'Caps won both meetings this season, defeating RSL 1-0 at BC Place in the MLS regular season opener on February 21 and 3-0 on September 19 at America First Field in Sandy, Utah. Vancouver also won both meetings in 2025.
During the first half of the 2021 season, Vancouver played their home matches at Rio Tinto Stadium, now known as America First Field, while the club was temporarily based in Utah due to cross-border travel restrictions.
Road to MLS Cup 2026
The winner of Vancouver's Round One series will advance to the Western Conference Semifinals to face the winner of the series between fourth-seeded San Jose Earthquakes and fifth-seeded Houston Dynamo.
Should the 'Caps advance, they would host both the Western Conference Semifinals and Western Conference Final at BC Place, with the potential to host MLS Cup as the second overall seed in the Supporters’ Shield standings. Last December, Vancouver lost to Inter Miami CF 3-1 at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Conference Semifinals
- Saturday, December 5 – Sunday, December 6
Conference Finals
- Friday, December 11 – Saturday, December 12
MLS Cup
Friday, December 18
- 6 p.m. PCT or 7 p.m. PCT; Apple TV, FOX, FOX Deportes, TSN, RDS
2027 Concacaf Champions Cup
By finishing the regular season atop the Western Conference, Whitecaps FC have clinched a place in the 2027 Concacaf Champions Cup, marking the club's fifth consecutive appearance and seventh overall.
The draw for the 62nd edition of the Concacaf Champions Cup will take place on Monday, December 21, with the tournament scheduled to run from February through June 2027.
The 'Caps will look to build on their memorable run in 2025, when the Blue and White reached the club's first-ever Concacaf Champions Cup Final.
Vancouver is joined by Nashville SC, Inter Miami CF and the New England Revolution as MLS representatives in the 2027 competition. St. Louis CITY SC have also qualified as winners of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, with the remaining MLS berth going to the winner of the 2026 MLS Cup.
Leagues Cup 2027
Whitecaps FC have also qualified for Leagues Cup 2027, which is set to take place from August 3 through September 5, 2027.
The 18 MLS clubs competing in the 2026 MLS Cup Playoffs have all secured qualification for the fifth edition of the tournament. The field will feature the top nine finishers from each MLS conference, alongside all 18 LIGA MX clubs.
The annual Concacaf-sanctioned competition will award three berths to the 2028 Concacaf Champions Cup, with the top three finishers advancing.