Below is a selection of the notable performances and moments from the 15 matches played on the 39th matchday of the 2025 MLS regular season, Decision Day, on Saturday, October 18.
Highlights of the matchday included:
- The final two playoff positions in the Western Conference came down to the wire, as FC Dallas punched its ticket to the postseason with a 2-1 road victory over Vancouver Whitecaps FC, while Real Salt Lake secured the ninth and final spot in the Western Conference with a 2-2 draw at St. Louis CITY SC.
- Behind two goals and an assist from Landon Donovan MLS MVP candidate Anders Dreyer, San Diego FC authored a sensational final chapter to the storybook of its inaugural season, securing the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference with a 4-0 victory at Portland. San Diego closes the season with the most points (63) and wins (19) by an expansion club in its first season in league history and with a league-leading 37 road points – tied for the most in a single season in MLS annals.
- The Audi 2025 MLS Cup Playoffs Wild Card schedule can be found HERE
- Inter Miami CF forward Lionel Messi capped a magical season with a special performance, scoring a hat trick and adding an assist against Nashville SC en route to winning the Golden Boot presented by Audi. Messi’s 29 goals are the third-most in a Golden Boot-winning season and his 10 multi-goal games are the most by a player in a single season in MLS history.
- In a flurry of late-game action, including a New England own goal in the 90’+9’, Chicago Fire FC earned a hard-fought 2-2 draw against the Revolution and will host Orlando City SC in the Eastern Conference Wild Card match on Tuesday night, the club’s first playoff game since 2017.
- FC Cincinnati punctuated a strong season with a 3-0 win over CF Montréal, which featured a goal and an assist from midfielder Evander. With his assist, the Brazilian, who has 18 goals and 15 assists in 2025, became the third player in MLS history with multiple seasons of at least 15 goals and 15 assists, joining Lionel Messi (2024-25) and Sebastian Giovinco (2015-16).
FC Dallas and Real Salt Lake Punch Playoff Tickets on Decision Day
The final two Audi 2025 MLS Cup Playoffs spots came from the Western Conference as FC Dallas and Real Salt Lake punched their tickets to the postseason on Decision Day. Dallas went on the road to Vancouver and defeated the Whitecaps, 2-1, as the victory earned them the No. 7 seed in the conference. Ironically, Dallas will turn back around and face Vancouver once again in the Round One Best-of-3 Series.
As Dallas appeared comfortably in the postseason, Real Salt Lake hung on against St. Louis CITY SC for a 2-2 draw and fortunately got a late goal from LAFC that saw them eke out the final No. 9 seed over their rivals, the Colorado Rapids. By making the playoffs, Salt Lake head coach Pablo Mastroeni became the sixth coach in MLS history to go to the postseason in each of his first five seasons with the club. The Claret and Cobalt will go on the road in the Western Conference Wild Card game when they face the No. 8 seeded Portland Timbers on Wednesday, October 22 (10:30 p.m. ET, MLS Season Pass and Apple TV).
Elsewhere in the West, San Diego FC earned the No. 1 seed after Vancouver dropped points, while LAFC secured the No. 3 seed and will face No. 6 Austin FC in the Round One Best-of-3 Series. The final matchup will be contested between No. 4 Minnesota United FC and in-form No. 5 Seattle Sounders FC.
Eastern Conference Bracket Sets Up to Be a Gauntlet
Home-field advantage and key Audi 2025 MLS Cup Playoffs positioning was on the line in the Eastern Conference heading into Decision Day as each of those went down to the wire. Charlotte FC entered the last matchday of the season holding on to the No. 4 seed and the final home-field advantage spot in the Round One Best-of-3 Series, which it secured with a 2-0 win over Supporters’ Shield winners the Philadelphia Union. Charlotte will face New York City FC in the opening round of the postseason.
Meanwhile, the final four teams in the Eastern Conference – Chicago Fire FC, the Columbus Crew, Nashville SC, and Orlando City SC – were all looking to escape the Wild Card match. After Columbus took care of business at home, it came down to Chicago and Orlando, with the Fire scoring a late equalizer in the 90+9’ to earn the No. 8 seed and host the Lions on Wednesday, October 22 (8:30 p.m. ET, MLS Season Pass and Apple TV). The winner of the match will go on to face No. 1 seed and Supporters’ Shield winner, the Philadelphia Union.
The other Round One Best-of-3 Series in the East include a Hell is Real matchup between No. 2 FC Cincinnati and No. 7 Columbus Crew and a Decision Day rematch between No. 3 Inter Miami CF and No. 6 Nashville SC.
Messi Captures Golden Boot Presented by Audi with Hat Trick
Entering Decision Day with a two-goal lead in the race for the league’s scoring title, Inter Miami CF forward Lionel Messi extinguished any drama with a hat trick in the club’s regular-season finale, bringing his season-ending goal total to 29 as he captured the Golden Boot presented by Audi (Watch Highlights from His Performance HERE). The Herons (65 points, 19-7-8) overpowered Nashville SC, 5-2, while securing the conference’s No. 3 seed and an immediate rematch against Nashville in the Round One Best-of-3 Series.
Messi is the third player since 2005 to score at least 29 goals in a Golden Boot-winning season, joining Josef Martínez (31 in 2018) and Carlos Vela (34 in 2019), and his 1.03 goals-per-game average is second to only Vela’s 2019 campaign (1.10 goals per game) among Golden Boot winners since 2005. Twenty-eight of Messi’s 29 goals this season came away from the penalty spot, the most in a single season in league history by three goals, with his lone penalty-kick goal in 2025 coming in the finale.
With his assist on the club’s fifth and final goal, the Argentine legend also secured a share of the league lead in assists with 19, matching San Diego FC’s Anders Dreyer. The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner is the second player in MLS annals to lead the league in both goals scored (29) and assists (19), joining Toronto FC’s Sebastian Giovinco in 2015 (22 goals, 16 assists).
Dreyer’s Road Dominance Leads San Diego to Top of Western Conference
The best first-year expansion team in MLS history only continued their remarkable season on Decision Day as San Diego FC went on the road and defeated the Portland Timbers, 4-0. With the victory and the Vancouver Whitecaps dropping points, San Diego clinched the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference and home-field advantage until at least MLS Cup presented by Audi. By earning the No. 1 seed in the conference, San Diego also secured a berth in the 2026 Concacaf Champions Cup.
Behind the 4-0 victory was none other than Landon Donovan MLS MVP candidate Anders Dreyer, who scored twice and added an assist. Dreyer finished the regular season with 38 goal contributions (19 goals, 19 assists), tying for the third-most in a single season in MLS history and trailing only Lionel Messi (48) in 2025. Of his 38 contributions, 27 came on the road (17 goals, 10 assists), marking a single-season MLS record for goal contributions away from home.
Coming out of Decision Day, Dreyer and San Diego will await the winner of the Western Conference Wild Card game between the Portland Timbers and Real Salt Lake in the Round One Best-of-3 Series.
Guzan and Nagbe End Regular Season Careers at Home
Decision Day 2025 also marked the conclusion of two regular-season careers for MLS legends Brad Guzan (Atlanta United) and Darlington Nagbe (Columbus Crew). Guzan started and wore the captain’s armband for Atlanta as he made his 304th MLS appearance, which spans back all the way until his days with Chivas USA in 2005. A two-time MLS All-Star and the MLS Goalkeeper of the Year in 2007, Guzan will walk away from professional soccer with 552 total appearances and also the fifth-most capped goalkeeper in U.S. Men’s National Team history.
For Nagbe, Saturday night marked his final regular season appearance for the Crew but he has more to play for as Columbus chases another MLS Cup presented by Audi title. One of only 10 players in MLS history to win at least four MLS Cups, Nagbe is one of the most consistent midfielders ever to feature in the league. By starting on Decision Day, he passed Dax McCarty (428) for the second-most regular season starts by an outfield player in league history (429). One of the consummate winners in MLS, Nagbe has also been a staple off the field and earner the Audi Goals Drive Progress Impact Award in 2024 for his dedication to fostering equity and inclusion, enriching lives and improving communities across the U.S. and Canada.
Nagbe’s career continues in the Round One Best-of-3 Series against FC Cincinnati, while Guzan steps away as one of the most impactful goalkeepers in MLS history.
