Why You Can Trust CNET Lionel Messi Practice Session: How to Watch and Stream Inter Miami CF Training Live for Free Today on Apple TV
Watch live this morning as the Argentina soccer legend prepares for his expected debut against Cruz Azul.
Lionel Messi made his first official appearance as an Inter Miami player during an unveiling ceremony at Fort Lauderdale's DRV PNK Stadium on Sunday.
The hard work now starts for new Inter Miami CF signing Lionel Messi, with the iconic Argentina soccer star set to attend his first official practice session with the MLS club this morning. And you can stream the workout live for free with our guide below.
A sold-out crowd of almost 20,000 endured heavy rain and lightning to see the seven-time Ballon d'Or recipient unveiled as a Miami player during a glittering ceremony at Fort Lauderdale's DRV PNK Stadium on Sunday, where he was handed the club's number 10 shirt.
The former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain star has signed a highly lucrative deal with the American MLS side that's set to run until 2025, marking the first time that the 36-year-old World Cup winner has played club football outside of Europe.
Today's training session comes ahead of Messi's expected debut for Miami in a Leagues Cup fixture against Mexican Liga MX side Cruz Azul on Friday.
Lionel Messi's first Inter Miami practice session: Where and when is it?
Messi's first training session is set to take place at the Florida Blue Training Center in Fort Lauderdale today -- Tuesday, July 18. The session is set to begin at 8:45 a.m. ET, 5:45 a.m. PT in the US and Canada. That's a 1:45 p.m. BST start in the UK and at 10:45 p.m. AEST in Australia.
Is the practice session streaming for free?
Yes, Apple and the MLS are making coverage of the practice session -- titled Bienvenido Messi - Training Begins -- available for free on the Apple TV app, and at tv.apple.com.
When is Messi's first game?
Messi's first game is expected to take place this Friday, July 21, at 8 p.m. ET, when Inter Miami host Cruz Azul in the Leagues Cup.
How can I watch Messi's MLS games?
Apple TV now has a 10-year deal with Major League Soccer and is the exclusive provider of every MLS game in the 2023 season through its MLS Season Pass.
Messi's first game, and all of Inter Miami's matches, will stream on Apple's subscription service in the US and around the world. Some of these matches, including the first one, will require a subscription to MLS Season Pass in order to watch.
In the US, an MLS Season Pass subscription costs $13 a month or $79 for the season if you're already a subscriber to the Apple TV Plus streaming service. If you don't subscribe to Apple TV Plus, the MLS Season Pass costs $15 a month or $99 for the season. The service is not restricted to the US, with subscriptions available in over 100 countries, including Canada, Mexico, the UK and Australia. For prices outside of the US, check here.
Read more: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV: How to Watch Major League Soccer in 2023
You can watch the games on any device that has the Apple TV app, including TVs, phones, tablets and computers. This includes iPhones, iPads, Apple TVs and Macs, as well as smart TVs and streaming devices that run the Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Android TV and Google TV platforms.
If you have a game console, there's an Apple TV app for Microsoft's Xbox One and Xbox Series S and X, and Sony's PlayStation 4 and PS5. Recent TVs from Samsung, LG, Sony and Vizio also have Apple TV apps. More details on supported devices can be found on Apple's site.
Although Apple does not have Apple TV apps for Android phones and tablets or Windows computers, it does let you stream its shows, and MLS games, using a web browser by going to tv.apple.com.
How to watch Messi's first Inter Miami practice online from anywhere using a VPN
While MLS Season Pass is available in most parts of the world, there are some exceptions. If you find yourself in a country where you're unable to view either service locally, you may need a different way to watch Messi's first training session -- that's where using a VPN can come in handy. A VPN is also the best way to stop your ISP from throttling your speeds on game day by encrypting your traffic, and it's also a great idea if you're traveling and find yourself connected to a Wi-Fi network, and you want to add an extra layer of privacy for your devices and logins.
With a VPN, you're able to virtually change your location on your phone, tablet or laptop to get access to the game. Most VPNs, like our Editors' Choice, ExpressVPN, make it really easy to do this.
Using a VPN to watch or stream live sports events is legal in any country where VPNs are legal, including the US, UK and Australia, as long as you have a legitimate subscription to the service you're streaming. You should be sure your VPN is set up correctly to prevent leaks: Even where VPNs are legal, the streaming service may terminate the account of anyone it deems to be circumventing correctly applied blackout restrictions.
Looking for other options? Be sure to check out some of the other great VPN deals taking place right now.
ExpressVPN is our current best VPN pick for people who want a reliable and safe VPN, and it works on a variety of devices. It's normally $13 per month, and you can sign up for ExpressVPN and save 49% plus get three months of access for free -- the equivalent of $6.67 per month -- if you get an annual subscription.
Note that ExpressVPN offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Quick tips for streaming Messi's first Inter Miami practice session using a VPN
- With four variables at play -- your ISP, browser, video streaming provider and VPN -- your experience and success when streaming this event live may vary.
- If you don't see your desired location as a default option for ExpressVPN, try using the "search for city or country" option.
- If you're having trouble getting the game after you've turned on your VPN and set it to the correct viewing area, there are two things you can try for a quick fix. First, log into your streaming service subscription account and make sure the address registered for the account is an address in the correct viewing area. If not, you may need to change the physical address on file with your account. Second, some smart TVs -- like Roku -- don't have VPN apps you can install directly on the device itself. Instead, you'll have to install the VPN on your router or the mobile hotspot you're using (like your phone) so that any device on its Wi-Fi network now appears in the correct viewing location.
- All of the VPN providers we recommend have helpful instructions on their main site for quickly installing the VPN on your router. In some cases with smart TV services, after you install a cable network's sports app, you'll be asked to verify a numeric code or click a link sent to your email address on file for your smart TV. This is where having a VPN on your router will also help, since both devices will appear to be in the correct location.
- And remember, browsers can often give away a location despite using a VPN, so be sure you're using a privacy-first browser to log into your services. We normally recommend Brave.