Mls season opens with Apple TV deal, Inter Miami vs. LAFC and new coverage plans
Commissioner Don Garber opened the 2026 campaign by announcing that all 30 clubs will be in action tomorrow and that every MLS match will be available on Apple TV, a change Garber said will make the league easier to find and watch. The kickoff matters now because more than 70, 000 fans are expected at the LA Coliseum for Inter Miami CF against Los Angeles FC at 9: 30 p. m. ET.
Mls on Apple TV and opening-weekend highlights
Garber’s letter lays out a packed opening weekend and a new national platform: the LA Coliseum clash will debut the Walmart Saturday Showdown and follow a Sunday Night Soccer match — LA Galaxy hosting New York City FC at 7 p. m. ET. The commissioner framed the Apple TV move as a league-wide distribution change, writing that it will bring every MLS match to the same service.
League calendar: stadiums, pauses and marquee dates
The season schedule in Garber’s message includes several fixed milestones: Inter Miami CF will open Miami Freedom Park on April 4; league play will pause in late May for the FIFA World Cup; the MLS All‑Star Game presented by Chime is set for July 29 in Charlotte; Decision Day is Nov. 7; and the Audi 2026 MLS Cup Playoffs run through a championship on Dec. 18. Garber also noted that all 13 World Cup host cities are home to MLS clubs.
How coverage will change: The Athletic’s plans and features
The Athletic is starting its 2026 coverage with a wide slate of features built around the World Cup and the season, including a ranking of the league’s 30 past champions, a look at kits, power rankings and season predictions from a roundtable of experts. The outlet has assigned writers to specific beats: Tom Bogert for transfer scoops, Paul Tenorio and Felipe Cardenas for an anonymous executive survey, and feature work from Melanie Anzidei on human stories.
Feature offerings will include a new Monday column called The Verdict, contributions from Henry Bushnell and Adam Crafton on broader global context, and commentary from former forward Charlie Davies on big storylines. The Athletic’s preview also highlights the early marquee matchup between Son Heung-min’s LAFC and defending champion Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami as a focal point of opening-weekend coverage.
Garber’s letter and the media previews together set concrete expectations for how the season will play out on and off the field: national distribution Apple TV, an official pause in late May for the World Cup, and single-date milestones that fans can mark on their calendars — April 4 for Miami Freedom Park and July 29 for the All‑Star Game among them.
Tomorrow’s opening-weekend slate — beginning with Inter Miami CF vs. Los Angeles FC at 9: 30 p. m. ET at the LA Coliseum and the Galaxy vs. New York City FC match at 7 p. m. ET — is the next confirmed event on the schedule. League officials have said Apple TV will carry every match, and the season’s calendar continues with the confirmed dates listed above.
