Soccer on ESPN Platforms in May – MLS Matches on ABC, ESPN and ESPN+; FA Cup Final on ESPN+; Italian Serie A and Bundesliga; and more
- First ever MLS Doubleheader on ABC Network on Sunday, May 9
- FA Cup Final Exclusively on ESPN+ – Chelsea FC vs. Leicester City on Saturday, May 15
- Special ESPN FC Pregame, Halftime and Postgame Shows – Exclusively on ESPN+
ESPN platforms – ABC, ESPN, ESPN+, ESPN Deportes – will carry marquee soccer matches from Italian Serie A, Bundesliga, and three cup finals – DFB-Pokal Final, England’s FA Cup Final and Coppa Italia Final – in May, the final month of the European soccer season. In addition, the 26th season of Major League Soccer continues on ESPN linear television networks with five matches in the month, including three on ABC.
ESPN+ will livestream the 140th FA Cup Final on May 15, and the schedule of 46 Serie A matches on ESPN+ in May will include a pair of high-profile clashes from atop the standings: Juventus vs. AC Milan (May 9) and Juventus vs. Inter Milan (May 15). ESPN FC, the daily soccer news, highlights and analysis show on ESPN+, will feature special editions around some of the matches.
MLS on ABC, ESPN and ESPN+
This Sunday (May 9), ABC will televise its first ever MLS doubleheader. Both games will also be available in Spanish on ESPN Deportes.
- Following the Eastern Conference clash of Inter Miami CF vs. Atlanta United FC at 1 p.m. ET, Pacific Northwest rivals Portland Timbers and Seattle Sounders play their first Cascadia Cup contest of the season on ABC at 3 p.m.
- Also in May, New England Revolution host reigning MLS Cup champions Columbus Crew in a rematch of last year’s Eastern Conference Final on Sunday, May 16 at 6 p.m. on ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes
- ESPN+, the exclusive home of approximately 350 out-of-market MLS games, will livestream more than 50 Major League Soccer matches in May.
MLS on ESPN Networks in May:
| Date | Time (ET) | Matchup | Platform(s) |
| Sat, May 8 | 6 p.m. | Orlando City SC vs. New York City FC
English: Jon Champion and Taylor Twellman Spanish: Richard Mendez and Alex Pareja |
ESPN / ESPN Deportes |
| Sun, May 9 | 1 p.m. | Inter Miami CF vs. Atlanta United FC
English: Steve Cangialosi and Alejandro Moreno Spanish: Mendez and Pareja |
ABC / ESPN Deportes |
| 3 p.m. | Portland Timbers vs. Seattle Sounders
English: Champion and Twellman Spanish: Mauricio Pedroza and Herculez Gomez |
ABC / ESPN Deportes | |
| Sun, May 16 | 6 p.m. | New England Revolution vs. Columbus Crew SC
English: Champion and Twellman Spanish: Mendez and Pareja |
ESPN2 / ESPN Deportes |
| Sat, May 22 | 3:30 p.m. | Portland Timbers vs. LA Galaxy
English: Champion and Twellman Spanish: Mendez and Gomez |
ABC / ESPN Deportes |
FA Cup Final on ESPN+: Chelsea FC vs. Leicester City
The 140th season of England’s FA Cup – the world’s oldest soccer cup competition – will conclude with Chelsea FC (4) vs. Leicester City (3) on Saturday, May 15, at 12:15 p.m., live from London’s Wembley Stadium. The matchup of top-four teams in the English Premier League standings will stream live in English and Spanish on ESPN+.
Host Dan Thomas and Craig Burley, in ESPN’s Bristol, Conn. studio, will be joined by reporter Alexis Nunes and analyst Nedum Onuoha from Wembley Stadium for ESPN FC’s special pre- and postgame shows. Guests: former Liverpool player Luis Garcia, and Chelsea and French National Team legend Frank Leboeuf.
FA Cup Final on ESPN+:
| Date | Time (ET) | Matchup | Platform(s) |
| Sat, May 15 | 11 a.m. | ESPN FC – 2021 FA Cup Final Pregame Special
Bristol: Dan Thomas (host) and Craig Burley Wembley Stadium: Alexis Nunes and Nedum Onuoha |
ESPN+ |
| 12:15 p.m. | 2021 FA Cup Final – Chelsea vs. Leicester City
English: Jon Champion and Taylor Twellman |
ESPN+ | |
| 2:30 p.m. (approx.) | ESPN FC – 2021 FA Cup Postgame Show | ESPN+ |
Italian Soccer
With five teams – Atalanta, Juventus, AC Milan, Napoli and Lazio – playing for the available three UEFA Champions League spots, the last four weeks of Serie A action is poised for an exciting finish. ESPN platforms will showcase the season-ending storylines. Highlights:
- For the first time in a decade, Juventus will not take home the Scudetto (Serie A title) and are in jeopardy of missing out on the top European club soccer championship in 2021-22. Currently, three teams – Atalanta, Juventus, AC Milan – are tied with 69 points, with Napoli (67) and Lazio (64 / with an extra match to play) chasing a top-four finish
- Coppa Itallia: On Wednesday, May 19, six-time FIFA Player of the Year Cristiano Ronaldo and U.S. Men’s National Team star Wes McKinnie will lead Juventus into the Coppa Italia Final against Atalanta for the team’s only chance for a trophy in the 2020-21 season. ESPN FC postgame show will follow immediately after the match, exclusively on ESPN+
- Sunday, May 23, ESPN platforms will combine to showcase all 10 matches in the final matchday of the season.
Serie A/Coppa Italia Schedule:
| Date | Time (ET) | Matchup | Platform(s) |
| Sun, May 9 | 2 p.m. | Juventus vs. AC Milan
English: Mark Donaldson and Matteo Bonetti Spanish: Ricardo Ortiz and Andres Agulla |
ESPN+ |
| 4 p.m. | ESPN FC Postgame Special
Dan Thomas, Shaka Hislop, Gab Marcotti and Jurgen Klinsmann |
ESPN+ | |
| Sat, May 15 | 11:50 a.m. | Juventus vs. Inter Milan
English: Donaldson and Bonetti Spanish: Ortiz and Agulla |
ESPN+ |
| Sat, May 15 | 2:30 p.m. | AS Roma vs. Lazio | ESPN+ |
| Wed, May 19 | TBD | Atalanta vs. Juventus (Coppa Italia Final)
English: Ross Dyer and Matteo Bonetti Spanish: Ortiz and Agulla |
ESPN2 / ESPN Deportes |
| Sun, May 23 | TBD | Serie A – Final Season Match Day
Dyer and Bonetti |
TBD |
German Soccer: Borussia Dortmund vs. RB Leipzig
Top-5 Bundesliga clubs Borussia Dortmund (No. 5) and RB Leipzig (No. 2) will play back-to-back matches against one another on ESPN networks in the week ahead:
- In a Bundesliga league match on Saturday, Borussia Dortmund will continue their campaign for a Champions League spot (top-four finish in the regular season) as they host RB Leipzig at Signal Iduna Park on ESPN, ESPN+ and ESPN Deportes
- Five days later on Thursday, May 13, the two teams meet again in the 78th edition of the DFB-Pokal (German Cup) Final at Olympiastadon in Berlin (ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes). Coverage will include an ESPN FC postgame show immediately following the cup final, exclusively on ESPN+.
German Soccer:
| Date | Time (ET) | Matchup | Platform(s) |
| Sat, May 8 | 9 a.m. | Borussia Dortmund vs. RB Leipzig
English: Derek Rae and TBD Spanish: Fernando Palomo and Mario Kempes |
ESPN / ESPN+ /
ESPN Deportes |
| Thu, May 13 | 2:30 p.m. | RB Leipzig vs. Borussia Dortmund (DFB-Pokal / German Cup Final)
English: Rae and TBD Spanish: Palomo and Kempes |
ESPN2 / ESPN Deportes |
U.S. Men’s National Team (ESPN, Sunday, May 30 at 2 p.m.)
In preparation for an important CONCACAF Nations League and Gold Cup campaign, the U.S. Men’s National Team will play Switzerland at Kybun Park in St. Gallen, Switzerland on May 30. Jon Champion (play-by-play) and analyst Taylor Twellman will provide match commentary beginning at 2 p.m. on ESPN and the ESPN App.
Click here for weekly schedule of all soccer matches on ESPN platforms.
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