How to Watch Messi’s World Cup: The Rise of a Legend Documentary for Free

  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, StyleCaster may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.

If you’re a big Lionel Messi fan, you won’t want to miss Apple TV+’s new sports documentary, Messi’s World Cup: The Rise of a Legend, which chronicles the footballer’s 2022 World Cup victory with his home country Argentina. Discover how to watch Messi’s World Cup for free below.

Today's Top Deals

The four-part documentary from SMUGGLER Entertainment follows the legendary soccer player’s impressive career, which includes FIFA World Cup appearances and his FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 win. The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner appears as himself in the film to tell the remarkable story of his time playing for the Argentina national football team. Apple TV Plus promises the film will provide “an intimate and unprecedented look at his quest for a legacy-defining World Cup victory.”

Watch ‘Messi’s World Cup

$0+

Buy Now

Messi’s World Cup: The Rise of a Legend will have four episodes, each running 45 minutes. All four episodes will be released together when the documentary premieres. Read on to find out when and where to watch Messi’s World Cup for free.

When does Messi’s World Cup air?

Messi’s World Cup: The Rise of a Legend airs on Wednesday, Feburary 21, at 12 a.m. ET on Apple TV Plus.

Where to watch Messi’s World Cup for free

Messi’s World Cup is available to stream on Apple TV Plus in 100 countries, which offers a seven-day free trial and costs $9.99 per month after the trial ends. Along with Messi’s World Cup, Apple TV Plus also includes dozens of Apple Originals with new content add each month. Apple Originals include award-winning comedy and drama series such as Ted Lasso, Severance, Masters of the Air, The Morning Show and Bad Sisters, as well as original movies, documentaries, and children’s content. Apple TV Plus additionally allows users to stream on up to five devices and download content to watch offline.

Watch ‘Messi’s World Cup

$0+

Buy Now

How to watch Messi’s World Cup for free

Read on for step-by-step instructions on how to watch Messi’s World Cup on Apple TV Plus.

  1. Visit TV.Apple.com

  2. Click “Try It Free

  3. Create an account with your email or Apple ID

  4. Enter your information and payment method

  5. Search for “Messi’s World Cup: The Rise of a Legend” and start watching

When is Messi’s World Cup about?

Lionel Messi of Argentina celebrates with the FIFA World Cup trophy following the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022
Lionel Messi of Argentina celebrates with the FIFA World Cup trophy following the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022

Messi’s World Cup: The Rise of a Legend tells the story of the world’s best-living athlete, his loyal fans across Argentina, and those who made the pilgrimage across the globe. The four-part series includes personal interviews with Messi, as well as the soccer player’s teammates, coaches, competitors, fans, and commentators, who can testify “to the incredible influence and impact he has on a nation and world stage, along with the grace, fortitude and willpower he has exhibited throughout his career,” according to Apple TV Plus.

The official description for the documentary continues, “The docuseries charts the dramatic path from his first match with the Argentina national football team to carrying the weight of a country on his shoulders through several elusive World Cup wins, leading to his early retirement in 2016 and, ultimately, the comeback to become a FIFA World Cup champion and be crowned the 2022 tournament’s best player.”

With a World Cup title now under his belt, Messi’s also a seven-time Ballon d’Or winner, a ten-time La Liga champion, and a four-time UEFA Champions League winner. The Argentinian player won his first major international title with his country in the 2021 Copa America before the 2022 World Cup.

How many times has Argentina won the World Cup?

Lionel Messi of Argentina and team celebrate after winning the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.
Lionel Messi of Argentina and team celebrate after winning the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.

Argentina has won the World Cup three times. Their first win was the 1978 final in their home country when they defeated the Netherlands 3-1, thanks to extra-time goals from Mario Kempes and Daniel Bertoni. The South American country won again in 1986, led by another football legend, Diego Maradona, resulting in a 3-2 triumph over West Germany at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City.

Finally, Argentina’s latest World Cup win was in Qatar in 2022 after beating France 4-2 on penalty kicks after a 3-3 draw. Messi contributed two goals to the final match, giving him his first FIFA World Cup title. Argentina has competed in 18 world cups and appeared in the final six times.

“It is the thing most everyone desires,” Messi said about winning the World Cup in an interview with ESPN at the time. “Everyone dreams big and the biggest is to be world champion with your national team. I was lucky to achieve everything at the club level with Barcelona and also at the individual level. This was the only thing that eluded me. There are very few players who can say that they have achieved everything and thanks to God I am one of them.”

The 36-year-old legend continued, “If you put in the effort, sacrifice, work and humility, in the end, you achieve your goals. The road can be hard, but you have to keep fighting for your dreams to try to achieve them. I always loved playing football, coming to the national team and being on the field, but I never enjoyed it like today.”

What team is Messi playing for in 2024?

Lionel Messi playing her Inter Miami CF on Feb. 15, 2024.
Lionel Messi playing her Inter Miami CF on Feb. 15, 2024.

What team is Messi playing for in 2024? Messi plays for the American Major League Soccer (MLS) team Inter Miami CF, based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Messi joined Inter Miami CF in the summer of 2023, and his contract runs through the 2025 MLS season.

Messi played a crucial role in helping the team win their first 2023 Leagues Cup title and advance to the 2023 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup final. In November 2023, Inter Milan FC named Messi the Most Valuable Player for the 2023 season. He also earned individual awards for “his performances in the process, winning Leagues Cup Best Player and Top Scorer awards after recording an impressive 10 goals and four assists in seven games in the competition,” according to the club’s site. Former English midfielder David Beckham, the club’s president and co-owner, helped form Inter Miami CF in 2018 alongside Miami-based investors and entrepreneurs.

Watch the official Apple TV Plus trailer for Messi’s World Cup below.

Best of StyleCaster