Soccer on TV This Week: Our Picks for July 27 – August 2
Europe's big leagues are still in preseason — the Premier League doesn't kick off until August 21 — so this week belongs to North America. And it opens with the summer's marquee exhibition: the MLS All-Star Game against the best of Liga MX. Around it, the MLS regular season comes out of its All-Star break with a genuine rivalry on national TV, and Liga MX's Apertura rolls on. Here's what we'd make time for, and exactly where to watch it in the US.
Editor's Picks
MLS All-Stars vs Liga MX All-Stars
The headline event of the week is the MLS All-Star Game, and for the third year running it pits the MLS All-Stars against a LIGA MX All-Star team — a genuinely competitive cross-border showcase rather than a friendly kickabout (MLS leads the series 3-1). This year it's in Charlotte at Bank of America Stadium, hosted by Charlotte FC and the first All-Star Game ever staged at the venue, with All-Star Week's Skills Challenge the night before.
Why watch: the MLS-vs-Liga MX format has made this one of the more watchable all-star events in US sports, with real pride on the line between the two leagues. It streams on Apple TV with English, Spanish and French commentary.
Portland Timbers vs Seattle Sounders FC
If you want a real, competitive match this week, this is the one: the Cascadia Cup rivalry between the Portland Timbers and Seattle Sounders, one of the most storied and hostile derbies in MLS. It's also the week's only MLS game on national broadcast TV.
Why watch: Timbers–Sounders reliably delivers atmosphere and edge, and Providence Park is one of the best environments in the league. It's carried nationally on FS1 (and on Apple TV).
Inter Miami CF vs Columbus Crew
Inter Miami are the biggest draw in MLS, and they arrive at this one with real stakes: entering the weekend they sit second in the Eastern Conference and second in the Supporters' Shield race (37 points), chasing Nashville SC at the top. A home date with the Columbus Crew — themselves a recent MLS Cup winner — is a proper test.
Why watch: a top-of-the-table Eastern Conference clash with Miami's star power. It's on Apple TV.
FC Cincinnati vs San Jose Earthquakes
Out West, the table could hardly be tighter: three clubs — the Vancouver Whitecaps, LAFC and the San Jose Earthquakes — are level on 33 points at the top of the Western Conference. San Jose's trip to FC Cincinnati is a chance to keep pace in that logjam against strong Eastern opposition.
Why watch: every point matters in a three-way Western race this close. Like almost all of MLS, it's on Apple TV.
Also this week — Liga MX Apertura, Jornada 3. Mexico's top flight is in full swing, and it's primarily a Spanish-language watch in the US on TUDN and ViX. The standout fixtures: Atlas host Monterrey at the Estadio Jalisco on Saturday, with Atlas one of four sides still unbeaten early on, and América — Mexico's biggest club — visit Santos on Sunday. Keep an eye, too, on Cruz Azul vs Atlante: Atlante are back in the Liga MX top flight for the first time in over a decade. Check each match on our full schedule for its US carrier and your local kickoff.
New to any of this? Our MLS viewing guide and Liga MX guide break down exactly where each league lives in the US, what's free, and what it costs. And for the season ahead, see our Premier League 2026-27 preview.
Kickoff times shown in US Eastern; on the live schedule they convert to your local zone automatically. Listings verified as of publication — see how we check our TV listings.