Who do the Columbus Crew play in the 2025 MLS Cup Playoffs

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- The Columbus Crew are playoff bound for a third successive MLS season but will have a long road towards winning a fourth MLS Cup title.

The Black & Gold concluded the season with a 3-1 win against the New York Red Bulls at Lower.com Field, finishing the season with 54 points. This means the Crew finished the season in seventh place in the Eastern Conference, sending them to the first round.

Columbus will play FC Cincinnati to open the MLS Cup Playoffs. Kickoff time has yet to be announced. After winning the title in 2023 as a three-seed, the Crew were knocked out in the first round by the Red Bulls in 2024.

The wild card round is one elimination game to determine which teams plays each conference's top-seed in the first round. The first round is the lone round of the MLS Cup Playoffs that is more than one game with a best-of-three series. Matches that end in a draw after regulation go straight to penalty kicks to determine a winner.

2025 MLS Cup Playoffs bracket

Eastern Conference

No. 1 Philadelphia Union vs Winner of No. 8 Chicago Fire FC and No. 9 Orlando City

No. 4 Charlotte FC vs No. 5 New York City Football Club

No. 3 Inter Miami CF vs No. 6 Nashville SC

No. 2 FC Cincinnati vs No. 7 Columbus Crew

Western Conference

No. 1 TBD vs Winner of No. 8 TBD and No. 9 TBD

No. 4 TBD vs No. 5 Seattle Sounders

No. 3 TBD vs No. 6 Austin FC

No. 2 TBD vs No. 7 TBD

The 2025 MLS Cup final will be played on Dec. 6. The oddsmakers currently have Inter Miami, the Whitecaps, and the Union are the top-three favorites to hoist the Philip F. Anschutz trophy.