The 2023 Major League Soccer season will kick off on Feb. 25 with opening weekend matches available for free on the Apple TV app, MLS announced Tuesday. Here’s what you need to know:
This is the first season of the league’s 10-year partnership with Apple, with the tech giant paying $2.5 billion for the rights to show every MLS match.
St. Louis CITY SC opens its inaugural season with a tough trip to Q2 Stadium to play Western Conference finalist Austin FC on Feb. 25 at 8:30 p.m. ET. The expansion club will host Charlotte FC on March 4 at 8:30 p.m. ET in its inaugural MLS home match.
The All-Star Game will take place on July 19 at Audi Field, the home venue of D.C. United. The opponent will be announced at a later date, MLS said.
Beginning in 2023, all 47 MLS and Liga MX clubs will compete in a reimagined Leagues Cup, as the month-long, Concacaf-sanctioned event will become the first major soccer tournament to feature every club from two top-flight leagues, per MLS. (The league’s regular season will pause for the tournament following July 15 games and resume on Aug. 20.)
Key matchups
MLS opening weekend
Nashville SC will host NYCFC on Feb. 25 at 4:30 p.m. ET as the first game of the 2023 MLS season.
LA Galaxy opens its season against defending MLS Cup champions LAFC in the El Tráfico rivalry matchup on Feb. 25 at 9:30 p.m. at the Rose Bowl.
Rivalry week
Rivalry week will take place May 13-20, beginning with Atlanta United hosting Charlotte FC on May 13 at 7:30 p.m. ET. At the same time, the New York Red Bulls will face NYCFC at Red Bull Arena.
LA Galaxy will play the San Jose Earthquakes at Dignity Health Sports Park on May 14 at 9:30 p.m. ET, which will be followed by nine games to close the weekend.
MLS Cup rematch
The Philadelphia Union face LAFC on Sept. 23, pitting last year’s MLS Cup finalists against each other.
MLS decision day 2023
All teams will face intra-conference opponents ahead of playoffs on MLS decision day on Oct. 21 with kickoff times to be announced at a later date.
Details on the 2023 playoff schedule will also be announced at a later date, MLS said.
Schedule
See the full schedule here.
With St. Louis CITY SC joining the Western Conference, Nashville SC rejoins the Eastern Conference in 2023. All Eastern Conference teams will play two games against each conference opponent and one game against six different non-conference opponents. All Western Conference teams will play two games against each conference opponent, one or two additional games against a conference opponent and one game against six or seven different non-conference opponents.
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MLS will pause during FIFA’s international windows in October and November. Thirteen MLS teams elected to play during the June and September FIFA international window.
The five MLS teams that have qualified for the Concacaf Champions League — Austin FC, Orlando City SC, LAFC, Philadelphia Union and Vancouver Whitecaps FC — begin Round of 16 play on March 7-9.
The Seattle Sounders are set to play in the FIFA Club World Cup, which begins Feb. 1-11 in Morocco. Match dates and times have not yet been confirmed, per MLS.
MLS-Apple streaming, how to watch
Fans will be able to watch every regular-season, playoff and Leagues Cup match on MLS Season Pass, the league’s new subscription streaming service on the Apple TV app that launches Feb. 1.
A subscription to MLS Season Pass will be included with each full-season ticket account. Through Family Sharing, up to six family members can share the subscription using their own Apple ID and password.
In 2023, Fox Sports will air 34 matches, including 15 on Fox and 19 on FS1, with all Fox Sports broadcasts providing Spanish-language on Fox Deportes. The extensive schedule of TSN and RDS regular season matches will be announced in the coming weeks, per MLS, with at least one match per week featuring a Canadian team.
Required reading
(Photo: Ira L. Black – Corbis / Getty)