SAN JOSE, Calif. — The San Jose Earthquakes announced today that 2026 Audi MLS Cup Playoff tickets will go on sale this week. The Earthquakes have clinched their first postseason berth since 2023 and their first home playoff game since PayPal Park opened in 2015.
Tickets for all possible Earthquakes Round One home games will be available for sale this week. Earthquakes Season Ticket Holders will be the first to gain access to playoff tickets at 10 a.m. PT on Tuesday, Nov. 3. Tickets will subsequently be made available to the general public Thursday, Nov. 5, at 10 a.m. PT. The best way to guarantee access and preferred pricing for the Audi 2026 MLS Cup Playoffs is by purchasing 2027-28 Season Tickets.
The top-four finishers in each conference will enjoy home-field advantage in the Round One Best-of-3 Series and will host both Game One and Game Three (if necessary). San Jose is currently third in the West with one regular-season match remaining on Saturday and would clinch a top-four spot with a win, draw or loss by seven goals or fewer.
If the Quakes finish the regular season in fifth place, they would host Game Two instead. The entire Round One will be played during the following windows:
- Game One: Friday, Nov. 20 - Tuesday, Nov. 24
- Game Two: Friday, Nov. 27 - Saturday, Nov. 28
- Game Three (if necessary): Tuesday, Dec. 1 - Wednesday, Dec. 2
“We’re beyond excited to bring the first home playoff game in PayPal Park history to our loyal, dedicated fans,” said Earthquakes President Jared Shawlee. “The Northern California soccer community has been hungry for a night like this, and we know it will be an incredible atmosphere.”
In Year 2 under five-time MLS Cup-winning Head Coach Bruce Arena, the Earthquakes have not only undergone a transformative improvement in the table by 31 points to a PayPal Park-era record 52 and counting, they have clinched a playoff spot for the first time since 2023.
With the German duo of UEFA Champions League winner Timo Werner and MLS Comeback Player of the Year candidate Eduard Löwen, one of the top domestic scorers in Preston Judd (16 goals), a local playmaking midfield pair in Saratoga’s Niko Tsakiris and San Jose’s Beau Leroux (combined seven goals and 21 assists), as well as the highest-scoring center-back combination in 2026 MLS All-Star Daniel Munie and University of San Francisco alum Reid Roberts (nine goals), the Earthquakes are primed to make a deep run in the playoffs as they seek their third MLS Cup title.
As part of their postseason push, the Earthquakes will hold a Playoff Rally at San Pedro Square Market in Downtown San Jose on Friday, Nov. 13, from 6-8 p.m., hosted by the club’s radio play-by-play announcer, Ted Ramey. There will be a DJ, player meet-and-greets and special access for Season Ticket Holders. More details will be announced shortly.
The club has also remained committed to their pledge to donate 15,000 soccer balls throughout Northern California as part of their “One Ball Can Change a Life” campaign to reach small businesses and local soccer leaders. Fans throughout the Bay Area can look forward to their favorite Quakes players, coaches and staff interacting with them and donating soccer balls in the upcoming days, while getting everyone in the community involved in what will be an unforgettable postseason run.
The Quakes’ last home playoff game was Nov. 7, 2012, at Santa Clara University’s Buck Shaw Stadium in Game 2 of the Western Conference Semifinals against the archrival LA Galaxy. The Earthquakes have qualified for the playoffs 11 times in the MLS era, winning the MLS Cup in 2001 and 2003 under Head Coach Frank Yallop and sporting an overall record of 12-12-3 (40 GF, 40 GA, 0 GD). Outside of those two championship seasons, the Black and Blue have finished in the Conference Finals once (2010), the Conference Semifinals or League Quarterfinals five times (1996, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2012), Round One twice (2017, 2020) and the Wild Card Round once (2023).
Six players—Ousseni Bouda, Benji Kikanović, Paul Marie, Daniel Munie, Jack Skahan and Niko Tsakiris—remain on the roster from that Quakes’ last playoff appearance, a 2023 Wild Card Round clash with Sporting Kansas City that was scoreless after regulation and ended on a 4-2 defeat via penalty kicks. Marie, a then-18-year-old Tsakiris and Skahan saw action that night, with the latter converting one of those two successful San Jose chances from the spot. Across the rest of the current roster, Noel Buck (2023), Earl Edwards Jr. (2023), Ian Harkes (2023), DeJuan Jones (2019-24), Eduard Löwen (2023) and Dave Romney (2015-16, 2019-20, 2022-23) boast playing experience in the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs.
Individually, 2001 and 2003 champion forward Landon Donovan is the club’s all-time postseason leader in goals (10) and co-leader in assists with Richard Mulrooney (6). Current Quakes Spanish radio analyst Ramiro Corrales is the career postseason leader in games played (15), with Donovan, Jeff Agoos and current Quakes Head Scout Ian Russell trailing him with 14 apiece. Current Quakes English radio analyst Joe Cannon leads all goalkeepers in wins (5), saves (28), clean sheets (3) and goals against average (0.86).
For more information on playoff tickets, please visit sjearthquakes.com/tickets.