Lionel Messi Makes His Inter Miami Debut This Friday; Everything You Need to Know to Watch Messi’s First MLS Season
One of the biggest stars in international sports is bringing his talents to South Beach. Although the news is probably still sinking in for American soccer fans, Lionel Messi will make his Major League Soccer debut with Inter Miami CF on Friday, July 21 for the team’s Leagues Cup match against Cruz Azul from Liga MX.
Inter Miami matches can be streamed with a subscription to MLS Season Pass, the streaming platform launched earlier this year by Apple as part of its 10-year deal with MLS to provide every single game in that time period. MLS Season Pass subscriptions began the season at $99.99 for the year, but Apple chopped that price in half for the rest of the year (or to $39.99 for Apple TV+ subscribers) in early June.
What Time Does Messi’s First Inter-Miami Game Start?
Lionel Messi’s first MLS game with Inter-Miami will take place Friday, July 21 at 8 p.m. ET from DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Will Miami vs. Cruz Azul be Shown on Cable TV?
No, Messi’s Miami debut against Cruz Azul will be an MLS Season Pass exclusive. Select MLS games will be shown on Fox platforms this season in addition to MLS Season Pass, but Miami’s only remaining game on the schedule due to be sent to FS1 is its September 24 match against Orlando City SC.
Will MLS Season Pass Have Special Coverage of Messi’s MLS Debut?
Yes! MLS will offer “enhanced” production for all of Miami’s games moving forward, including drone and sky-cam coverage. The match against Cruz Azul will also feature a one-hour pregame show discussing Messi’s first game and his career. In addition, MLS Season Pass will offer Messi’s first training session with Miami, which will stream on Tuesday, July 18 at 8:45 a.m. ET.
What is the Leagues Cup?
The Leagues Cup is an annual competition that features clubs from MLS and Liga MX, the top professional soccer league in Mexico. There will be 47 teams competing in this year’s Leagues Cup, beginning with a round-robin competition leading to a knockout stage. The top three teams in the Leagues Cup when the competition ends are given automatic berths in the CONCACAF Champions Cup.
What Does Miami’s Remaining Regular Season Schedule Look Like?
Leagues Cup play will extend until mid-August. Once the regular season resumes, fans will have 12 more matches to watch Messi’s greatness before the season ends. You’ll have to wait until next year to see him hit the pitch again.
| Date | Match |
|---|---|
| Aug. 20 | Inter Miami vs. Charlotte FC |
| Aug. 26 | New York Red Bulls vs. Inter Miami |
| Aug. 30 | Inter Miami vs. Nashville SC |
| Sept. 3 | Los Angeles FC vs. Inter Miami |
| Sept. 9 | Inter Miami vs. Sporting Kansas City |
| Sept. 16 | Atlanta United FC vs. Inter Miami |
| Sept. 20 | Inter Miami vs. Toronto FC |
| Sept. 24 | Orlando City SC vs. Inter Miami |
| Sept. 30 | Inter Miami vs. New York City FC |
| Oct. 4 | Chicago Fire FC vs. Inter Miami |
| Oct. 7 | Inter Miami vs. FC Cincinnati |
| Oct. 21 | Charlotte FC vs. Inter Miami |
Can You Watch Messi’s Miami Debut for Free?
Unlike Apple’s other streaming platform Apple TV+, MLS Season Pass does not offer a free trial at this time. Users can sign up to MLS Season Pass for $14.99 per month, or a reduced price of $49.99 for the rest of the regular season. Apple TV+ subscribers get an extra discount; $12.99 per month, or $39.99 for the remainder of the year.
What Other Features Are Available with MLS Season Pass?
MLS Season Pass has a wide array of features for soccer fans to enjoy. Its “MLS 360” whip-around show offers highlights and live look-ins, analysis and more. Users with Apple TV 4K devices can also watch up to four games simultaneously using the multiview feature on MLS Season Pass.
MLS Season Pass
MLS Season Pass is a video streaming service that offers every match—including Leagues Cup and the entire Audi MLS Cup Playoffs—with no blackouts. It offers both English and Spanish announcers. MLS Season Pass also offers pre-match coverage, post-match analysis, highlights, player profiles, interviews, club content, match replays, live MLS NEXT Pro and MLS NEXT matches, and more.