When Will Lionel Messi Make His Inter Miami Debut? How Can You Watch All of His MLS Games?
The sports world is still reeling from the news that Lionel Messi will join MLS’s Inter Miami CF following two years at Paris Saint-Germain. But the question surrounding Messi now shifts from “why” to “when” — as in, when will Messi make his Inter Miami debut? We have a few educated guesses on when he can suit up for the Herons and how you can watch all the action.
When Can Messi Join Inter Miami?
Messi’s contract with PSG ends on June 30; after that, he can begin training with Inter Miami. Messi’s first game could technically be July 1 vs. Austin FC, but that’s highly unrealistic given the turnaround. Messi will need time to settle into his new digs and learn the team’s system. The Athletic reports that Messi's first match could be a July 21 Leagues Cup matchup against Liga MX’s Cruz Azul, not an MLS regular season contest. Inter Miami’s first regular season match after the mid-season Leagues Cup tournament would be August 20 vs. Charlotte FC.
How Can I Watch Messi’s Matches for Inter Miami?
You can watch every MLS match by subscribing to Apple TV’s MLS Season Pass. Apple recently reduced the price of MLS Season Pass to $49.99 due to the season reaching the halfway point, making it the perfect time for Messi fans to sign up for the service. Not only will you get to watch all of Messi’s matches, but all the other MLS matches as well. If you have a 4K streaming device, you can even watch multiple MLS matches simultaneously using Apple TV+’s multiview feature.
Certain MLS matches air on Fox but, the only Inter Miami match to air on a Fox platform as of right now is the Sept. 24 match between Inter Miami and Orlando FC. Fox inked a deal to be the broadcast home for MLS games, but the deal does not give the network exclusivity, as all games will still remain on MLS Season Pass.
What is Inter Miami’s Upcoming Schedule?
You can see Inter Miami’s entire regular season schedule below:
| Date | Match |
|---|---|
| June 10 | New England Revolution vs. Inter Miami |
| June 24 | Philadelphia Union vs. Inter Miami |
| July 1 | Inter Miami vs. Austin FC |
| July 4 | Inter Miami vs. Columbus Crew |
| July 8 | D.C. United vs. Inter Miami |
| July 15 | St. Louis City SC vs. Inter Miami |
| 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 |
Why is Messi Joining Inter Miami FC a Big Deal?
For the unaware, Lionel Messi — arguably the most popular soccer player on the planet — agreed to join Inter Miami CF and MLS. Due to the MLS’ current salary structure, the league and its main broadcast partner Apple TV had to get creative when it came to compensating Messi. As such, it’s rumored that he will receive a cut of all MLS Season Pass subscriptions in order to make up for the difference in cash. Other media entities have even said that Messi has options for partial team ownership as well.
Timed perfectly with Messi’s announcement that he was taking his talents to South Beach, Apple TV+ secured the rights for a four-part docuseries about Messi that will focus on his World Cup performances, including his historic 2022 championship run with Argentina. Clearly, Apple is going all-in on Messi for its sports content, which even at age 35, doesn’t seem like a bad idea.
Apple TV+
Apple TV+ is a subscription video streaming service for $9.99 a month that includes high-quality original shows and movies including Best Picture winner “CODA,” popular sitcom “Ted Lasso,” and dramas like “The Morning Show” and “Severance.” Apple TV+ is also home to MLB baseball games on Friday nights and MLS Season Pass.