Explainer: How the MLS Season Works Ahead of Lionel Messi’s Anticipated Arrival

• Major League Soccer clubs will play 34 matches each this 2023 season
• Two major titles are awarded by MLS every year (regular season and playoffs)
• MLS will introduce a new playoff format this year for the participating teams

The GOAT is coming to the United States, and football fans can’t get enough of it.

Lionel Messi’s blockbuster move to Inter Miami has sparked interest among his fans in Major League Soccer.

Sports Brief examines how the MLS season works and the league’s new playoff system ahead of the Argentine star's arrival.

Format of 2023 MLS season

A total of 29 teams from the United States and Canada are competing in the 2023 MLS season. They each play a 34-match regular season from February to October, with the top nine clubs from each conference (Eastern and Western) advancing to the playoffs at the end.

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The city of San Diego was recently handed an expansion franchise, with the league increasing to 30 teams starting in 2025.

Domestic cup competitions

Apart from league play, MLS clubs also take part in several domestic cup competitions during the season.

Teams that are based in the United States compete in the U.S. Open Cup, while Canada-based clubs participate in the Canadian Championship.

They also participate in the Leagues Cup, an annual association football competition between MLS teams and clubs from Liga MX.

The tournament will take place from July 21 to August 19. The 2023 MLS regular season will be taking a hiatus during this period.

No promotion and relegation system

What makes MLS different from other top-flight leagues around the world is that it does not have a promotion and relegation system.

MLS commissioner Don Garber told The Athletic in an interview last March that he won’t rule out implementing such a system in the future as there are lower division leagues in the USA and Canada as well.

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The same clubs compete every year, with the MLS being a closed league.

To achieve competitive balance, MLS clubs that finished in the bottom positions receive the top picks in the player drafts the following year, a practice that is employed by other North American sports leagues such as the NBA, NFL, MLB, and NHL.

What are the MLS trophies?

MLS awards two major titles every season. The team that finishes with the most points throughout the MLS regular season is declared the regular season champion and is awarded the Supporters' Shield.

That is not the end goal for MLS clubs, though. The main prize that teams covet is the MLS Cup, which is given to the winner of the MLS Playoffs, per Sporting News.

The team that lifts the MLS Cup at the end of the playoffs is often referred to as the real champion of the league.

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Format of 2023 MLS Playoffs

So how do the 2023 MLS Playoffs work? A new format has been implemented this season, with the top nine teams from each conference qualifying for the playoffs.

The top seven seeds from each conference are assured of spots in the first round, while the No. 8 and No. 9 teams will square off in a knockout match to determine who will be the eighth seed.

The first round will feature four matchups in each conference, with the No. 1 seed facing the No. 8 seed, the No. 2 seed squaring off against the No. 7 seed, the No. 3 seed locking horns with the No. 6 seed, and the No. 4 seed taking on the No. 5 seed.

Starting this year, the first round will be played in a best-of-three format. There will be no draw results in the games here, with a penalty shootout determining the winner of a match in case of a tie.

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The team that notches two wins first in the series will advance to the conference semifinals.

From that stage, the playoffs will employ the traditional single-elimination format up until the MLS Cup final.

LAFC won both the Supporter’s Shield and the MLS Cup last year, a double that has only been accomplished eight times since the league’s inception in 1996.

Special treatment for Messi

Sports Brief recently reported on an MLS coach advocating for Messi to be given special treatment by the league referees.

He said that the Argentine should get the 'Michael Jordan' treatment from officials and feels he should 'get every single call'.

Messi is tipped to make his debut for Inter Miami later this month.