Format Each of the league's 29 teams played 34 matches—17 at home and 17 away games; the frequency of opponents was different for each conference due to the unequal number of teams. The 15 Eastern Conference teams played two matches against every other team in the same conference and one match each against six Western Conference teams. The 14 Western Conference teams faced each other twice as well as an additional one or two matches against an intra-conference team; they had one match each against either six or seven Eastern Conference teams. The regular season began on February 25 and culminated with Decision Day on October 21, where all teams (except
D.C.) played each other in simultaneous intra-conference matches. The season was paused for the
2023 Leagues Cup from July 21 to August 19 as well as
FIFA international windows in October and November; the June and September international windows had a partial pause, with 13 clubs electing to continue playing during them. The majority of matches were played on Wednesdays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. local time as part of the Apple TV+ streaming contract. The
MLS Cup Playoffs expanded to nine teams per conference and a total of 24 matches. Round One in late October consisted of a
best-of-three series between the top seven teams per conference as well as the winner of a
wild card match played by the eighth and ninth placed teams. The Conference Semifinals, Conference Final, and MLS Cup final remained single-elimination matches hosted by the higher-seeded team in late November and early December. The 2023 season was the first to implement a "sustenance break" for
iftar for Muslim players during
Ramadan in April. The break was indicated by the referee as a stoppage in play after sundown and treated as a hydration break.
Conference standings Overall table The leading team in this table won the
Supporters' Shield.
Results MLS All-Star Game ==MLS Cup Playoffs==