MLS Standings Shake-Up: Week 25 Results, Playoff Picture & Surprise Climbers

The 2025 MLS standings have tightened just in time for Matchday 27, setting up a frantic sprint toward the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs. Eastern Conference snapshot 1. FC Cincinnati – 48 pts (24 GP) 2. Philadelphia Union – 47 pts (24) 3. Nashville SC – 47 pts (24) 4. Columbus Crew – 44 pts (24) 5. Inter Miami CF – 41 pts (21) 6. Orlando City SC – 38 pts (24) 7. Charlotte FC – 35 pts (24) 8. NYCFC – 35 pts (23) 9. New York Red Bulls – 32 pts (24) (Top 7 qualify directly; 8–9 head to the Wild Card round.) Western Conference snapshot 1. San Diego FC – 43 pts (24 GP) 2. Vancouver Whitecaps – 42 pts (23) 3. Minnesota United – 41 pts (24) 4. Seattle Sounders – 37 pts (23) 5. Portland Timbers – 36 pts (21) 6. LAFC – 36 pts (21) 7. Colorado Rapids – 34 pts (24) 8. Austin FC – 33 pts (23) 9. San Jose Earthquakes – 32 pts (24) Key storylines to watch Inter Miami’s games-in-hand: Lionel Messi and company have three fewer matches played than every team above them. Win those, and the Herons could leapfrog straight into the race for the Supporters’ Shield while keeping crucial rest days in the bank. Expansion shocker in the West: San Diego FC are on course for the best inaugural season in league history. A balanced attack led by teenage DP Matías Romero (11 goals) has them clinging to first despite pressure from Vancouver’s in-form Brian White and Minnesota’s Emanuel Reynoso. Three-way Shield chase: With Cincinnati, Philadelphia and Nashville separated by a single point, every match feels like a six-pointer. Cincy still boast MLS’s most potent defense (31 GA), but the Union’s Julien Carranza (14 goals) is heating up at the perfect moment. Charlotte keeps climbing: Four straight unbeaten and Bank of America Stadium turning into a fortress have lifted the Crown to seventh. Coach Dean Smith insists a top-four finish is “still on the table” ahead of tonight’s home clash with Toronto. Playoff lines in bold • 7-point gap: Orlando at 38 points hold the East’s last direct berth; NYCFC and the Red Bulls lurk just three points behind. • West logjam: Only seven points separate fourth-place Seattle from 10th-place Real Salt Lake, meaning one bad week could drop a contender into Wild Card territory. Weekend fixtures that could swing the tables – Philadelphia vs Nashville (Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET): second vs third with Shield implications. – LAFC vs Portland (Sunday, 10:30 p.m. ET): identical 36-point totals; winner could jump to third. – FC Cincinnati vs Inter Miami (Sunday, 8:00 p.m. ET): Messi faces the league leaders in a potential Eastern Conference final preview. Why it matters now With only ten regular-season matches left for most clubs, every point is magnified. Finishing top-four guarantees home-field advantage through at least Round One, while sneaking into ninth only earns a one-off Wild Card trip. The Shield winner also secures a 2026 Concacaf Champions Cup berth, adding continental stakes to every result. Bookmark this page for real-time updates, tiebreaker explanations and playoff clinching scenarios as the 2025 MLS standings continue to shift.