Major League Soccer returns to Apple TV on Thursday with the resumption of regular-season play after a break for FIFA World Cup insanity. That’s great news for soccer fans new and old.
If you got hooked on the sport after watching World Cup matches during Major League Soccer’s monthlong break, tune into Apple TV for your fix. You should see some familiar faces on the field.
Major League Soccer returns to Apple TV after World Cup break
While soccer (known as “football” outside the United States and a few other locales) is the most popular sport in the world, it perpetually lags in the United States when it comes to viewership. However, that’s changing — and this year’s World Cup, played in the United States, Mexico and Canada — sparked even more interest in the sport.
(Fun fact: “Soccer” isn’t an Americanism — it’s a British word with an interesting origin story.)
In what now looks like a prescient move, Apple TV locked down broadcast rights to Major League Soccer in 2023, initially charging a separate fee to watch the games. Now, the streaming service includes all MLS games at no extra charge.
“Apple TV subscribers in more than 100 countries and regions can watch every MLS match with no blackouts,” Apple TV said in a press release on Tuesday. “Subscribers also receive comprehensive coverage and analysis, exclusive content, and access to matches beyond the regular season, including the annual Leagues Cup tournament, Michelob Ultra Campeones Cup, MLS All-Star Game, and Audi MLS Cup Playoffs.”
MLS players you might recognize from the World Cup
Image: Apple TV
Many pro players on Major League Soccer teams played on national teams that competed in the World Cup.
“A record 45 MLS players, representing 22 clubs and 17 countries, participated in the 2026 World Cup, with many expected to return to their clubs this week as the league resumes regular-season play,” Apple TV said. “Among them are eight players who represented the United States, including Vancouver Whitecaps FC midfielder Sebastian Berhalter, who helped the U.S. achieve its best group-stage finish at the World Cup.”
Lionel Messi, the soccer superstar who played on Argentina’s team, plays for Inter Miami CF. He’s also the subject of a pair of Apple TV documentaries, Messi’s World Cup: The Rise of a Legend and Messi Meets America.
Other familiar faces that World Cup watchers will see on the field include “Columbus Crew defender Steven Moreira, who started every match for Cape Verde as the Blue Sharks made an unforgettable run to the round of 32 in the nation’s first-ever World Cup, and nine Canadian internationals, led by Orlando City SC goalkeeper Maxime Crépeau, who played every minute of Canada’s historic tournament as the nation earned its first World Cup victory and advanced to the knockout stage for the first time,” Apple said.
Apple TV costs $12.99 per month after a free seven-day trial.
Lewis Wallace is the managing editor of Cult of Mac and author of our weekly newsletter, The Weekender.
He’s a San Francisco-based writer and editor specializing in technology and culture. He loves his iPhone, hates Siri, and appreciates any hardware that combines form and function.
Prior to Cult of Mac, he juggled words and ideas as culture editor at Wired.com, homepage editor at TechTV, news product manager at NBCi, copy editor at PC World, reporter at The (Hayward) Daily Review and editor in chief of EveryBody’s News in Cincinnati.
He earned a bachelor of general studies degree with a journalism certificate from the University of Cincinnati. While in school, he worked as the entertainment editor of The News Record and as editor in chief of Clifton Magazine.
He’s also a bass player, who’s recorded and performed around the United States with Those Darn Accordions, The Electric Boogie Dawgz and The Mad Maggies. When not writing, editing or laying down bass lines, he plays darts and serves on the board of the San Francisco Darts League.
