How To Watch Lionel Messi Dominate The MLS In Australia

Football’s reigning GOAT, Lionel Messi, has already made quite the splash during his first official week as a Major League Soccer (MLS) signed athlete — sealing the deal for Inter Miami with a last-minute penalty goal against Cruz Azul; scoring twice in two minutes against Atlanta United — but how can fans of the world game follow the action right here in Australia?

How To Watch The MLS In Australia — Table of Contents

• Where can I stream MLS games live in Australia?
• What makes MLS Season Pass special?
• When is Messi playing with Inter Miami next?
• How to watch a live match on MLS Season Pass in Australia
• How to watch an MLS match replay
  • Watch an MLS match recap
  • Watch an MLS full-match replay
• Major League Soccer Teams & Competition Format
  • MLS Eastern Conference
  • MLS Western Conference

Where can I stream MLS games live in Australia?

The enterprising folks over at Apple TV have inked a 10-year deal to broadcast MLS matches internationally, including in Australia.

Essentially, this means you’ll be able to access a masterfully-curated sports content hub via the very same platform where you binge Ted Lasso with MLS Season Pass — an intuitive one-stop-shop for all your American soccer needs.

Aside from the MLS regular season, MLS Cup Playoffs, and the annual MLS All-Star Game, this service also includes the Leagues Cup, Campeones Cup, MLS NEXT Pro, and MLS Next matches.

Punters can cop MLS Season Pass through the Apple TV app for $22.99 per month or $149 for an entire season; existing Apple TV+ subscribers, on the other hand, can tap into the special price of $19.99 per month or $119 for the season.

During periods of mid-season pricing (i.e. right now), the monthly fees remain the same while the annual cost is decidedly more enticing: $69 | $59 (existing Apple TV+ subscribers).

If you’re not too keen on the idea of forking out the extra dosh — fear not. Anyone who has an active Apple TV+ account can still stream a selection of MLS and Leagues Cup matches, including certain playoff matchups and all the biggest moments, at zero additional cost.

But let’s be real… once you get a taste, you’ll want the full thing.

Compatible devices must be updated to iOS 16.2 or later, iPadOS 16.2 or later, tvOS 16.2 or later, and macOS 13.1 or later.

What makes MLS Season Pass special?

Leveraging its decades of experience in personalising consumer journeys, Apple has delivered something unique in the sports broadcasting/streaming market.

On MLS Season Pass, you can find dedicated club pages where your team’s matches are automatically served along with an entire host of relevant featured content: match previews, replays, spotlight stories, etc.

Fans can also enjoy playlists comprised of both songs and artists that “embody the cultures of those club”; as well as two MLS-inspired playlists exclusively on Apple Music with additional music content drip-fed as the season progresses.

All in all, as we alluded to earlier, the UX design is just extremely considered.

From the ability to toggle live match scores and prevent spoilers when you’re a little behind to Multiview, which allows you to follow up to four games simultaneously (the MLS can have as many as 14 games going in a single night), you’ll never miss a moment.

Bonus: matches offer both English and Spanish commentary, while matches involving Canadian teams will also offer commentary in French (same deal with post-game wrap-ups).

RELATED: The “Noble” Reason Lionel Messi Signed With Inter Miami

When is Messi playing with Inter Miami next?

Here are the upcoming matches you can expect Leo to lace up for (AEST):

• August 7 vs. FC Dallas [11:30 AM]
• August 21 vs. Charlotte FC
• August 24 vs. FC Cincinnati
• August 27 vs. New York Red Bulls
• August 31 vs. Nashville SC
• September 4 vs. LAFC
• September 10 vs. Sporting Kansas City
• September 17 vs. Atlanta United
• September 21 vs. Toronto FC
• September 25 vs. Orlando City SC
• October 1 vs. New York City FC
• October 5 vs. Chicago Fire FC
• October 8 vs. FC Cincinnati
• October 22 vs. Charlotte FC

How to watch a live match on MLS Season Pass in Australia

1. Open the Apple TV app or head to tv.apple.com/sports.
2. Sign in with Apple ID and password if necessary.
3. Hit Watch Now and scroll down to Channels, or simply go to Search.
4. Select MLS Season Pass.
5. Select a game and press play.

To hide the scores of live matches on your iPhone, associated devices, or television, head to Settings > TV, and then turn off Show Sports Scores.

How to watch an MLS match replay

Watch an MLS match recap

1. Open the Apple TV app or head to tv.apple.com/sports.
2. Select MLS Season Pass.
3. Scroll down to Past Matches and select a match.
4. Hit play.

Watch an MLS full-match replay

1. Open the Apple TV app or head to tv.apple.com/sports.
2. Select MLS Season Pass.
3. Find the match you want to watch on replay.
4. Select the match, then scroll down to How To Watch.
5. Under How To Watch, select the Versions button to see the different options available.
6. Choose the full match.

RELATED: There’s A Four-Part Docuseries About Lionel Messi Coming To Apple TV+

Major League Soccer Teams & Competition Format

At the time of this writing, there are 29 clubs in Major League Soccer divided between the Eastern and Western conferences with another $500 million franchise slated to debut in 2025 (Mohamed Mansour’s unnamed San Diego team); and three defunct franchises for the history books (Tampa Bay Mutiny, Miami Fusion, Chivas USA).

Major League Soccer’s regular season takes place from late February/early March to October. Teams from each conference play 34 games in an unbalanced schedule. In 2023, this entails two games (home and away) against every team in its conference; and one game against all but four/five of the teams in the other conference.

At the conclusion of the regular season, the team with the most points is awarded the Supporters’ Shield plus home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. Playoffs continue in a bracket format until the last one standing eventually hoists the coveted MLS Cup (current champions: Los Angeles FC).

Check out the teams below.

MLS Eastern Conference

MLS Western Conference

Sign up for MLS Season Pass in Australia via Apple TV app at the link below.