The 2026 Leagues Cup tournament kicks off Tuesday, August 4. The month-long competition pits 18 Major League Soccer clubs against 18 teams from Mexico’s Liga MX, with all 62 matches streaming through Apple TV.
No separate subscription is required to enjoy the action – any Apple TV subscriber in 100 countries and regions can watch.
Leagues Cup returns to Apple TV with every match streaming live
The fourth annual Leagues Cup features clubs from Major League Soccer in the United States and Canada competing against Mexico’s top professional league, Liga MX. Rather than featuring national teams like the recent World Cup, the competition pits club teams against one another in a month-long knockout tournament held during the regular season.
Leagues Cup has become an increasingly important part of Apple’s 10-year agreement with Major League Soccer. Since the partnership began in 2023, Apple has held the global streaming rights to every MLS match as well as the league’s postseason tournaments, including Leagues Cup.
Apple says viewers will be able to watch every match live through the Apple TV app, with commentary available in English and Spanish. Matches involving Canadian clubs also include French-language broadcasts.
More than exhibition games
This year’s tournament uses the same 36-team format introduced last season, featuring 18 MLS clubs and 18 Liga MX clubs competing for the Leagues Cup trophy as well as three qualifying spots in the Concacaf Champions Cup.
The Leagues Cup Champion will also earn a direct berth into the Concacaf Champions Cup Round of 16, putting the club on the path to FIFA’s premier international club competitions, including the FIFA Club World Cup.
Some eagerly anticipated matches
The opening slate includes several high-profile cross-border matchups.
That includes defending champion Seattle Sounders opening their title defense against reigning Concacaf Champions Cup winner Toluca FC on August 5 at 7 p.m. PT.
The 2026 tournament will also feature several global stars making their Leagues Cup debuts, including France’s Antoine Griezmann (Orlando City SC), Poland’s Robert Lewandowski (Chicago Fire), and Brazil’s Casemiro (Inter Miami CF).
Apple TV goes all in for Leagues Cup 2026
Apple TV’s Leagues Cup broadcasts feature Club América legend and former Mexico national team captain Pável Pardo alongside former Mexico national team striker Francisco “Kikín” Fonseca, both returning as analysts for the tournament.
The tournament runs through September 6 and remains exclusive to Apple’s streaming platform in more than 100 countries and regions. While every match will be available through Apple TV, a selection of games also will air on traditional television in the United States, Canada and Mexico through existing broadcast partners.
To see the complete 2026 Leagues Cup schedule, visit leaguescup.com.
Ed Hardy has been writing full-time about tech for 26 years, and using it for much longer than that. His intro to Apple was a Macintosh SE/30 (which he still has), but now he uses a 13-inch iPad Pro as his primary computer.
That’s because he’s a “tablet first” type of guy. Rather than use a Macbook, he connects a keyboard case to the iPad. And instead of a desktop Mac, he connects his tablet to a 27-inch display and full-size keyboard. (So don’t try to tell him that everyone has to use a Mac to be productive.)
Before coming to Cult of Mac, Ed wrote for NotebookReview, TabletPCReview and Brighthand, as well as other sites.
