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The GOAT has entered the stadium.
World Cup champ Lionel Messi is set to make his Inter Miami debut Friday, as the MLS team faces off against Cruz Azul in the 2023 Leagues Cup. The annual CONCACAF event pits teams from Major League Soccer against teams from Mexico’s Liga MX in an inter-continental face off.
Messi is expected to make his Inter Miami debut on Friday, July 21 and you can watch Messi’s first game online through Apple TV+. The streaming service’s MLS Season Pass gets you a livestream of Messi’s debut vs. Cruz Azul, and access to all the Leagues Cup matches online free.
Regularly $99, get the MLS Season Pass for 50% off right now on AppleTV.com. The deal brings the price down to $49 (it’s just $39 for existing Apple TV+ subscribers).
Read on to find out more about Messi’s MLS debut and to see how to livestream the 2023 Leagues Cup online for free.
When Is Leagues Cup 2023?
The 2023 Leagues Cup kicks off July 21 and runs through August 19, with teams playing this year in locations across the U.S. and Canada.
Messi’s first Leagues Cup game will take place July 21 at DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale. Tickets to see Messi’s debut are still available as of this writing on VividSeats.com.
Leagues Cup 2023 Teams, Matches
This year’s Leagues Cup competition features all 47 clubs from the two leagues for the first time in history. There are 29 squads from MLS and 18 teams from Liga MX. The group stage runs from July 21-31, with the top teams advancing to the knockout stage. As the champions of their respective leagues in 2022, LAFC and C.F. Pachuca received first-round byes and advance straight to the knockout round.
After hoisting the World Cup trophy for Argentina in 2022, Messi joins the Inter Miami team in the middle of their current season, following his exit from Paris Saint-Germain. Reports say the soccer star’s deal was worth upwards of $150 million. Messi will also reportedly receive an ownership stake in the club as part of his contract.
Fanatics
Ahead of Messi’s North American debut, fans can pre-order Messi’s Miami jerseys online now at Fanatics.com. This is an official Messi Inter Miami CF jersey from Adidas, and the jersey is available in pink or black. The new Messi jerseys are moving quickly so we recommend adding to cart now.
This is the third edition of the Leagues Cup, which first launched in 2019. Watch Lionel Messi and the 2023 Leagues Cup soccer tournament online free with Apple TV+ MLS Season Pass. See more details on AppleTV.com.
