31 games with all four championship matches to stream live exclusively on MLS Season Pass, the subscription service available on the Apple TV app
NEW YORK (Tuesday, June 13, 2023) – The 2023 MLS NEXT Cup Playoffs and Showcase begin on Saturday, June 17 as the best youth teams in the United States and Canada compete to be crowned MLS NEXT Cup Champions for the 2022-23 season. 32 of the top teams in each of the four different age groups (U-15, U-16, U-17, U-19) will square off at the Toyota Soccer Center in Dallas-Fort Worth for each title.
The MLS NEXT Cup Playoffs is a single-elimination competition featuring the best 128 teams across four age groups (U-15, U-16, U-17, U-19). Teams qualified for the MLS NEXT Cup Playoffs based on results from league play or by winning their respective group at MLS NEXT Flex, a qualifying event that took place from May 12-16. The event marks the culmination of the 2022-23 MLS NEXT season, which included over 9,000 matches played across all age groups.
MLS NEXT Cup Playoff matches will last 80 minutes in the U-15 age group 90 minutes in the other three age groups. If the game is tied at the end of regulation, all playoff matches will head to kicks from the penalty spot, except for the four championship matches, which will feature two five-minute periods of extra time. If the championship matches are still even after extra time, they will be decided by kicks from the penalty spot.
Thirty one MLS NEXT Cup Playoff games, including all four championship matches, will stream live on MLS Season Pass, the subscription service from Apple and Major League Soccer on the Apple TV app, available in more than 100 countries and regions. Across the four age groups, 12 Round of 32 matches, six quarterfinal games, and each of the eight semifinal contests will also be available to watch on MLS Season Pass. Additionally, the U-19 ‘Best Of’ match will be streamed on Tuesday, June 20. MLS Season Pass marks the official kickoff of the 10-year partnership between MLS and Apple, a historic first for a major professional sports league.
Below is the full schedule for the MLS NEXT Cup Playoffs and Showcase as well as the 2022-23 final league standings.
The 2022 edition of the MLS NEXT Cup Playoffs saw four different MLS academy clubs – U-15 Inter Miami CF, U-16 D.C. United, U-17 Philadelphia Union, and U-19 New England Revolution – take home the title in each of their age groups. Non-MLS academies Strikers FC of Irvine, Calif. (U-16) and the San Francisco Glens (U-19) also progressed to the championship matches for the first time in each club’s history. Notable individual award winners from the 2021 and 2022 MLS NEXT Cup Playoffs include: New England’s Jack Panayotou (2022 U-19 Golden Boot winner), Inter Miami CF’s Benjamin Cremaschi (2021 U-16 Golden Ball winner with Weston FC), and San Jose’s Cruz Medina (2021 U-15 Golden Ball winner).
Teams that do not qualify for the MLS NEXT Cup Playoffs can also participate in the MLS NEXT Cup Showcase. The Showcase provides a premier platform for MLS NEXT players to compete in front of hundreds of collegiate, international, and professional coaches and scouts. All clubs participating in the MLS NEXT Cup Showcase will play three matches over a four-day span. Clubs who are eliminated in the first two rounds of the MLS NEXT Cup Playoffs are also eligible to participate in the Showcase.
The event will also host three MLS NEXT ‘Best Of’ matches in which top players from MLS NEXT Cup Showcase teams will compete at the U-15, U-16 and U-19 age groups. These players are selected based on their performance in league play, at MLS NEXT Fest, and at MLS NEXT Flex.
Furthermore, the MLS NEXT Club Playoffs and Showcase will incorporate another edition of the MLS Match Evaluator program as several former professional players participate in on-site training for talent identification. Match Evaluators will attend various games and assess the quality of play while pinpointing top-performing players at each age group. Alumni of the program have progressed into coaching or administration roles within MLS and MLS NEXT Clubs, including the likes of Houston Rangers SC academy director Josh Gardner.
Subscribing to MLS Season Pass
With an MLS Season Pass subscription, fans can enjoy all MLS and Leagues Cup matches, and hundreds of MLS NEXT Pro and MLS NEXT games, on billions of devices through the Apple TV app on smart TVs, streaming devices, Apple devices, set-top boxes, and game consoles, as well as on the web at tv.apple.com. Fans can subscribe to MLS Season Pass on the Apple TV app for $14.99 per month during the season or $49 for the rest of the season, and Apple TV+ subscribers can sign up at a special price of $12.99 per month or $39 for the rest of the season.1 A subscription to MLS Season Pass will be included with each MLS Club full-season ticket account. Through Family Sharing, up to six family members can share the subscription using their own Apple ID and password.
To watch MLS Season Pass, customers must update to iOS 16.2 or later, iPadOS 16.2 or later, tvOS 16.2 or later, and macOS 13.1 or later. Fans around the world can enjoy Major League Soccer matches on MLS Season Pass in English, Spanish, or French where available, including closed captions.
About MLS NEXT
MLS NEXT is a new paradigm for player development, launched in 2020 to transform youth soccer in North America. Founded on a collaborative approach to governance and a commitment to innovation, MLS NEXT players have access to the highest level of competition, training and personal development opportunities that will prepare them for their futures, both in soccer and in life. Membership for the 2022-23 season includes 137 clubs, 628 teams and over 13,000 players across the U.S. and Canada. Official partners of MLS NEXT include adidas, Allstate, and DoorDash. For more information about MLS NEXT, visit www.mlssoccer.com/mlsnext.
