3 Apple TV Soccer Picks to Watch Before the World Cup Ends

The world’s festival of football — and, for South Koreans, a somewhat bittersweet one — the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America has reached its final stages. The global tournament, featuring national teams from 32 countries, opened in June 2026 and has delivered high-stakes showdowns among the world’s top players. As with any unscripted drama, the matches themselves are compelling, but the narratives players and teams write often add enjoyment beyond the scoreline. From the Cabo Verde team and goalkeeper Vozinha to a battle of new records involving Messi, Mbappé and Haaland, there’s no shortage of off-pitch storylines. Among the streamers leaning into World Cup fever is Apple TV. Here are three soccer titles it is spotlighting during the tournament. You can watch these titles on Apple TV and on Tving, which distributes the Apple TV Pass service.

Four defeats, five attempts: Argentina’s Messi — From repeated setbacks to ultimate triumph

〈Messi: Hero of the Qatar World Cup〉

Had he retired at the perfect moment, Lionel Messi might not have played in this World Cup. But on the brink of turning 40, Messi returned to the World Cup stage and continued to show his class by breaking records almost daily. Since his debut, Messi has been widely described as one of the greatest players in history. Yet one prize had eluded him: the World Cup. He first appeared at a World Cup at the 2006 tournament in Germany and finally reached the final in 2014, only to come up short. He took part in many international tournaments but repeatedly failed to lift the trophy and at one point announced his retirement. After reversing that decision, Messi vowed he would not retire without winning the World Cup, and he ultimately captured the title at the 2022 Qatar World Cup. That journey is documented in Apple TV’s four-part documentary 〈Messi: Hero of the Qatar World Cup〉. The series centers on the Qatar tournament while tracing Messi’s upbringing and the pressure he faced on the international stage, making it a must-watch for his fans. If you want to get more emotionally invested in the Argentina-England semifinal, the documentary is a good way to catch up on background and Messi’s narrative.

Lift the trophy: MLS players’ grind through the 2024 season

〈Onside: Major League Soccer〉

Fans who used to shout for the Premier League and La Liga are now quietly following MLS. Major League Soccer wasn’t a mainstream favorite, but the arrival of global stars has made it harder to ignore. Notable examples include Lionel Messi (Inter Miami CF) and Son Heung-min (LAFC). Each left their longtime clubs — Barcelona and Tottenham Hotspur — to move to North America, and their signings have driven unprecedented interest in MLS. A documentary that gives a taste of the league is 〈Onside: Major League Soccer〉. The eight-episode series covers the 2024 MLS season from the early matches through the championship. Son Heung-min does not appear in the series because his move did not happen until 2025, but the program follows players such as Marco Reus and others through their seasons. For viewers who rarely get to watch MLS live because of distance or time-zone differences, 〈Onside: Major League Soccer〉 offers an easy way in.

A quirky, funny and moving sports drama about an American coach from American football

〈Ted Lasso〉

In the United States, soccer remains less popular than other major sports, and the idea of an American who loves soccer has often been played for laughs. One show that turned that premise into a global hit is Apple TV’s flagship series 〈Ted Lasso〉. The series follows Ted Lasso, a former American football coach who takes charge of fictional English club AFC Richmond. It’s a comedy about a coach who knows little about soccer learning to build and lead a team, an American adapting to British culture, and a sports drama about an underdog club. 〈Ted Lasso〉 mixes those elements and became a worldwide success; Jason Sudeikis, who plays Ted Lasso and helped develop the show, won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series in 2021 and 2022, taking the prize in consecutive years. Season 4 is currently in production; before it arrives, revisit 〈Ted Lasso〉 — especially if you want an underdog World Cup frame of mind.