MLS All-Star Game
| Founded | 1996 |
|---|---|
| Region | Major League Soccer (CONCACAF) |
| Number of teams | 2 |
| Current champions | Mexico Liga MX All-Stars (1st title) |
| Most successful club(s) | United StatesCanada MLS All-Stars (11 titles) |
| Television broadcasters | MLS Season Pass |
| File:Soccerball current event.svg 2024 MLS All-Star Game | |
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The Major League Soccer All-Star Game is an annual soccer game held by Major League Soccer featuring selected players from the league against an international club or selected players from another league. MLS initially adopted a traditional all-star game format used by other North American sports leagues where the Eastern Conference squared off against the Western Conference. This eventually evolved into the current system where the league annually invites a club from abroad to play against a league all-star team in a friendly match. The MLS All-Stars hold a 9–8 record in the competition, which generally marks the season's midpoint. Players are awarded roster spots through a combination of fan voting and selections by the appointed manager and league commissioner. In case of a tie after full-time, the game does not use a 30-minute extra time period; instead it goes straight to a penalty shoot-out. The match is preceded by a skills challenge tournament, which was introduced in 2018 and features three-player teams competing in various events. The All-Star Game also runs parallel to the MLS Next All-Star Game, which debuted in 2014 as the Homegrown Game.[1]
History
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Major League Soccer's first all-star game was played at Giants Stadium in the summer of 1996. The game, using an East–West format with players handpicked by the coaching staffs to emulate other American leagues, was the first game of a doubleheader with the Brazil national team defeating a team of FIFA World All-Stars.[2][3] The matchup between divisions would only be used for six seasons as MLS tried experimenting with different formats. The 1998 All-Star Game placed a team of American MLS players against MLS players from abroad. The 2002 game, the first to use a league-wide all-star team, was the only game to feature a national team opponent.[citation needed] Since then (except in 2004), every opponent has been a foreign club invited by the league. The MLS All-Stars won their first six games before falling to Everton in penalties in 2009. All games from 2005 to 2019 have been against teams from Europe, the majority of which have been from England's Premier League. The European league schedule runs from fall to spring, allowing for a fixture against the MLS All-Stars during the preseasons of teams.[4] The 2020 All-Star Game was to be the first to feature the all-star team from another league, Liga MX; however, that game was cancelled.[5] In August 2005, an 18-player all-star team squad named the "MLS Select Team" competed in the Trofeo Santiago Bernabéu, a friendly hosted by Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium in Madrid. The All-Star team, coached by Steve Nicol, lost 5–0 after being given only two days to prepare between normal league matches.[6] The roster is chosen using a mix of fan votes, nominations from the coach, and commissioner's pick. Some players, including English midfielders Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard in 2015, have been picked to participate in the All-Star Game despite not playing in club matches.[7] Players who are picked to play in the All-Star Game but refuse to join the team are suspended from one league match.[8]
Roster
For 2014, ten players were chosen by All-Star Game coach Caleb Porter, eleven players were chosen by fan voting (subject to Porter's approval), and two were selected by MLS commissioner Don Garber.[9]
Skills Challenge
The modern incarnation of the MLS All-Star Skills Challenge, introduced in 2018, is a freestyle soccer event that features three-player teams competing against each other in minigames, including a touch-and-volley goal showcase, a shooting accuracy competition, and a passing-and-shooting challenge.[10] The older version of the skills challenge was retired in 2001 and featured other events, including "goalie wars" and soccer tennis.[11]
Results by team
| Team | Won | Lost | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| United StatesCanada MLS All-Stars | 11 | 9 | 20 |
| United States MLS East | 5[lower-alpha 1] | 1 | 6 |
| United States MLS West | 2[lower-alpha 1] | 4 | 6 |
| England Arsenal | 2 | — | 2 |
| England Manchester United | 2 | — | 2 |
| Mexico Liga MX All-Stars | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| England Everton | 1 | — | 1 |
| Italy Juventus | 1 | — | 1 |
| Italy Roma | 1 | — | 1 |
| Spain Atlético Madrid | 1 | — | 1 |
| Spain Real Madrid | 1 | — | 1 |
| United States MLS USA | 1 | — | 1 |
| England Chelsea | — | 2 | 2 |
| England Fulham | — | 1 | 1 |
| England Tottenham Hotspur | — | 1 | 1 |
| England West Ham United | — | 1 | 1 |
| Germany Bayern Munich | — | 1 | 1 |
| Mexico Guadalajara | — | 1 | 1 |
| Scotland Celtic | — | 1 | 1 |
| File:Flag of the United Nations.svg MLS World | — | 1 | 1 |
| United States United States | — | 1 | 1 |
- Notes
Results by nation
| Team | Winner | Runner-up | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States United States | 17 | 16 | 33 |
| Canada Canada | 11 | 9 | 20 |
| England England | 5 | 5 | 10 |
| Italy Italy | 2 | — | 2 |
| Spain Spain | 2 | — | 2 |
| Germany Germany | — | 1 | 1 |
| Mexico Mexico | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Scotland Scotland | — | 1 | 1 |
| United Nations World | — | 1 | 1 |
Results by year
"East vs. West" (1996–1997)
| July 14, 1996 1996 MLS All-Star Game | MLS East United States | 3–2 | United States MLS West | Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey |
| Ramos File:Soccerball shade.svg 14' Savarese File:Soccerball shade.svg 69' Pittman File:Soccerball shade.svg 88' |
Report | Preki File:Soccerball shade.svg 33' Kreis File:Soccerball shade.svg 37' |
Attendance: 78,416 Referee: Kevin Stott MVP: Carlos Valderrama |
"MLS USA vs. MLS World" (1998)
| August 2, 1998 1998 MLS All-Star Game | MLS USA United States | 6–1 | United Nations MLS World | Citrus Bowl, Orlando, Florida |
| T. Ramos File:Soccerball shade.svg 5' Lalas File:Soccerball shade.svg 15' McBride File:Soccerball shade.svg 16' Preki File:Soccerball shade.svg 40' Lassiter File:Soccerball shade.svg 78' Jones File:Soccerball shade.svg 83' |
Report | M. Ramos File:Soccerball shade.svg 89' | Attendance: 34,416 Referee: Esse Baharmast MVP: Brian McBride |
"East vs. West" (1999–2001)
| July 17, 1999 1999 MLS All-Star Game | MLS East United States | 4–6 | United States MLS West | Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California |
| Lassiter File:Soccerball shade.svg 1' Moore File:Soccerball shade.svg 62' (pen.) Valderrama File:Soccerball shade.svg 73' John File:Soccerball shade.svg 83' |
Report | Preki File:Soccerball shade.svg 13', 38' Kosecki File:Soccerball shade.svg 32' Jones File:Soccerball shade.svg 36' Wright File:Soccerball shade.svg 84' Cerritos File:Soccerball shade.svg 89' |
Attendance: 23,227 Referee: Sandra Hunt MVP: Preki |
| July 29, 2000 2000 MLS All-Star Game | MLS West United States | 4–9 | United States MLS East | Columbus Crew Stadium, Columbus, Ohio |
| Razov File:Soccerball shade.svg 17', 22' Cienfuegos File:Soccerball shade.svg 19' Nowak File:Soccerball shade.svg 44' |
Report | Mathis File:Soccerball shade.svg 2' Moreno File:Soccerball shade.svg 36' Valencia File:Soccerball shade.svg 39' Chung File:Soccerball shade.svg 51' Diallo File:Soccerball shade.svg 59', 61' Heaps File:Soccerball shade.svg 65' Washington File:Soccerball shade.svg 67' McBride File:Soccerball shade.svg 76' |
Attendance: 23,495 Referee: Paul Tamberino MVP: Mamadou Diallo |
| July 28, 2001 2001 MLS All-Star Game | MLS West United States | 6–6 | United States MLS East | Spartan Stadium, San Jose, California |
| Donovan File:Soccerball shade.svg 3', 7', 19', 90+2' Graziani File:Soccerball shade.svg 26' Kovalenko File:Soccerball shade.svg 69' |
Report | Chacón File:Soccerball shade.svg 28' McBride File:Soccerball shade.svg 34', 39' Diallo File:Soccerball shade.svg 53' Rooney File:Soccerball shade.svg 84' Catê File:Soccerball shade.svg 87' |
Attendance: 23,512 Referee: Noel Kenney MVP: Landon Donovan |
"All-Stars vs. Guest" (2002–2003)
| August 3, 2002 2002 MLS All-Star Game | MLS All-Stars United States | 3–2 | File:Flag of the United States.svg United States | RFK Stadium, Washington, D.C. |
| Kreis File:Soccerball shade.svg 59' Etcheverry File:Soccerball shade.svg 72' Ralston File:Soccerball shade.svg 81' |
Report | Donovan File:Soccerball shade.svg 58' Jones File:Soccerball shade.svg 76' |
Attendance: 31,096 Referee: Brian Hall MVP: Marco Etcheverry |
| August 2, 2003 2003 MLS All-Star Game | MLS All-Stars United States | 3–1 | Mexico Guadalajara | Home Depot Center, Carson, California |
| Razov File:Soccerball shade.svg 57' Ruiz File:Soccerball shade.svg 68' Beasley File:Soccerball shade.svg 83' |
Report | García File:Soccerball shade.svg 66' | Attendance: 27,000 Referee: Kevin Terry MVP: Carlos Ruiz |
"East vs. West" (2004)
| July 31, 2004 2004 MLS All-Star Game | MLS East United States | 3–2 | United States MLS West | RFK Stadium, Washington, D.C. |
| Guevara File:Soccerball shade.svg 20', 22' (pen.) Eskandarian File:Soccerball shade.svg 74' |
Report | Ching File:Soccerball shade.svg 43' Kreis File:Soccerball shade.svg 89' |
Attendance: 21,378 Referee: Michael Kennedy MVP: Amado Guevara |
"All-Stars vs. Europe" (2005–2019)
| July 30, 2005 2005 MLS All-Star Game | MLS All-Stars United States | 4–1 | England Fulham | Columbus Crew Stadium, Columbus, Ohio |
| Twellman File:Soccerball shade.svg 23' O’Brien File:Soccerball shade.svg 56' Cunningham File:Soccerball shade.svg 85', 89' |
Report | Jensen File:Soccerball shade.svg 66' (pen.) | Attendance: 23,309 Referee: Ricardo Valenzuela MVP: Taylor Twellman |
| August 5, 2006 2006 MLS All-Star Game | MLS All-Stars United States | 1–0 | England Chelsea | Toyota Park, Bridgeview, Illinois |
| De Rosario File:Soccerball shade.svg 70' | Report | Attendance: 21,210 Referee: Abbey Okulaja MVP: Dwayne De Rosario |
| July 19, 2007 2007 MLS All-Star Game | MLS All-Stars United StatesCanada | 2–0 | Scotland Celtic | Dick's Sporting Goods Park, Commerce City, Colorado |
| Ángel File:Soccerball shade.svg 36' Toja File:Soccerball shade.svg 44' |
Report | Attendance: 18,661 Referee: Baldomero Toledo MVP: Juan Pablo Ángel |
| July 24, 2008 2008 MLS All-Star Game | MLS All-Stars United StatesCanada | 3–2 | England West Ham United | BMO Field, Toronto, Ontario |
| Gómez File:Soccerball shade.svg 27' Blanco File:Soccerball shade.svg 45' De Rosario File:Soccerball shade.svg 70' (pen.) |
Report | Ashton File:Soccerball shade.svg 26', 67' | Attendance: 20,844 Referee: Mauricio Navarro MVP: Cuauhtémoc Blanco |
| July 28, 2010 2010 MLS All-Star Game | MLS All-Stars United StatesCanada | 2–5 | England Manchester United | Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas |
| Ching File:Soccerball shade.svg 64' De Rosario File:Soccerball shade.svg 90' |
Report | Macheda File:Soccerball shade.svg 1', 13' Gibson File:Soccerball shade.svg 70' Cleverley File:Soccerball shade.svg 73' Hernández File:Soccerball shade.svg 84' |
Attendance: 70,728 Referee: Jorge Gonzalez MVP: Federico Macheda |
| July 27, 2011 2011 MLS All-Star Game | MLS All-Stars United StatesCanada | 0–4 | England Manchester United | Red Bull Arena, Harrison, New Jersey |
| Report | Anderson File:Soccerball shade.svg 20' Park Ji-sung File:Soccerball shade.svg 45' Berbatov File:Soccerball shade.svg 52' Welbeck File:Soccerball shade.svg 68' |
Attendance: 26,760 Referee: Jair Marrufo MVP: Park Ji-sung |
| July 25, 2012 2012 MLS All-Star Game | MLS All-Stars United StatesCanada | 3–2 | England Chelsea | PPL Park, Chester, Pennsylvania |
| Wondolowski File:Soccerball shade.svg 21' Pontius File:Soccerball shade.svg 73' Johnson File:Soccerball shade.svg 90+1' |
Report | Terry File:Soccerball shade.svg 32' Lampard File:Soccerball shade.svg 58' |
Attendance: 19,236 Referee: Baldomero Toledo MVP: Chris Pontius |
| July 31, 2013 2013 MLS All-Star Game | MLS All-Stars United StatesCanada | 1–3 | Italy Roma | Sporting Park, Kansas City, Kansas |
| 20:30 | Gonzalez File:Soccerball shade.svg 90+1' | Report | Strootman File:Soccerball shade.svg 4' Florenzi File:Soccerball shade.svg 47' Tallo File:Soccerball shade.svg 68' |
Attendance: 21,175 Referee: Hilario Grajeda MVP: Alessandro Florenzi |
| August 6, 2014 2014 MLS All-Star Game | MLS All-Stars United StatesCanada | 2–1 | Germany Bayern Munich | Providence Park, Portland, Oregon |
| Wright-Phillips File:Soccerball shade.svg 51' Donovan File:Soccerball shade.svg 70' |
Report | Lewandowski File:Soccerball shade.svg 8' | Attendance: 21,733 Referee: Jair Marrufo MVP: Landon Donovan |
| July 29, 2015 2015 MLS All-Star Game | MLS All-Stars United StatesCanada | 2–1 | England Tottenham Hotspur | Dick's Sporting Goods Park, Commerce City, Colorado |
| Kaká File:Soccerball shade.svg 20' (pen.) Villa File:Soccerball shade.svg 23' |
Report | Kane File:Soccerball shade.svg 37' | Attendance: 18,671 Referee: Ismail Elfath MVP: Kaká |
| July 28, 2016 2016 MLS All-Star Game | MLS All-Stars United StatesCanada | 1–2 | England Arsenal | Avaya Stadium, San Jose, California |
| Drogba File:Soccerball shade.svg 45+2' | Report | Campbell File:Soccerball shade.svg 10' (pen.) Akpom File:Soccerball shade.svg 87' |
Attendance: 18,000 Referee: Chris Penso MVP: Chuba Akpom |
| August 2, 2017 2017 MLS All-Star Game | MLS All-Stars United StatesCanada | 1–1 (2–4 p) | Spain Real Madrid | Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois |
| Dwyer File:Soccerball shade.svg 87' | Report | Mayoral File:Soccerball shade.svg 59' | Attendance: 61,428 Referee: Allen Chapman MVP: Borja Mayoral | |
| Penalties | ||||
| Dwyer soccer ball with red X Dos Santos soccer ball with red X Valeri soccer ball with check mark Almirón soccer ball with check mark |
soccer ball with check mark Benzema soccer ball with check mark Bale soccer ball with check mark Kovačić soccer ball with check mark Marcelo |
|||
| August 1, 2018 2018 MLS All-Star Game | MLS All-Stars United StatesCanada | 1–1 (3–5 p) | Italy Juventus | Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia |
| Martínez File:Soccerball shade.svg 26' | Report | Favilli File:Soccerball shade.svg 21' | Attendance: 72,317 Referee: Robert Sibiga MVP: Josef Martínez | |
| Penalties | ||||
| Zusi soccer ball with check mark Yotún soccer ball with check mark Valeri soccer ball with check mark Wright-Phillips soccer ball with red X |
soccer ball with check mark Fagioli soccer ball with check mark Beltrame soccer ball with check mark Kastanos soccer ball with check mark Fernandes soccer ball with check mark De Sciglio |
|||
| July 31, 2019 2019 MLS All-Star Game | MLS All-Stars United StatesCanada | 0–3 | Spain Atlético Madrid | Exploria Stadium, Orlando, Florida |
| Report | Llorente File:Soccerball shade.svg 43' Félix File:Soccerball shade.svg 85' Costa File:Soccerball shade.svg 90+3' |
Attendance: 25,527 Referee: Drew Fischer MVP: Marcos Llorente |
"All-Stars vs. Liga MX All-Stars" (2021–2022)
| August 25, 2021 2021 MLS All-Star Game | MLS All-Stars United StatesCanada | 1–1 (3–2 p) | Mexico Liga MX All-Stars | Banc of California Stadium, Los Angeles, California |
| Murillo File:Soccerball shade.svg 53' | Report | Rodríguez File:Soccerball shade.svg 20' | Attendance: 21,000 Referee: Armando Villarreal MVP: Matt Turner | |
| Penalties | ||||
| Note: Originally scheduled for July 29, 2020; postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[12] | ||||
| August 10, 2022 2022 MLS All-Star Game | MLS All-Stars United States Canada | 2–1 | Mexico Liga MX All-Stars | Allianz Field, Saint Paul, Minnesota |
| 20:30 ET | Report | Attendance: 19,727 Referee: Joe Dickerson MVP: Dayne St. Clair |
"All-Stars vs. Europe" (2023)
| July 19, 2023 2023 MLS All-Star Game | MLS All-Stars United States Canada | 0–5 | England Arsenal | Audi Field, Washington, D.C. |
| 20:30 ET | Report | Attendance: 20,621 Referee: Ted Unkel MVP: Bukayo Saka |
"All-Stars vs. Liga MX All-Stars" (2024)
| July 24, 2024 2024 MLS All-Star Game | MLS All-Stars United States Canada | 1–4 | Mexico Liga MX All-Stars | Lower.com Field, Columbus, Ohio |
| 20:00 ET | Report | Attendance: 20,931 Referee: Guido Gonzales Jr. (United States) |
Future editions
| 2025 2025 MLS All-Star Game | MLS All-Stars United States Canada | v | TBD | Q2 Stadium, Austin, Texas |
| --:-- ET |
Most Valuable Player
Broadcasting
Since 2023, rights for the MLS All-Star Game have been held by Apple TV+. The match and associated events are broadcast in English, French, and Spanish on MLS Season Pass;[19] the 2023 edition was made free to stream.[20] The U.S. broadcast in English alternated between ESPN and Fox from 2015 to 2022, with the networks also alternating the MLS Cup.[21][22] In even numbered years, ESPN has broadcast the All-Star Game[23] while Fox would broadcast the MLS Cup. Likewise, in odd numbered years, Fox would be slated to broadcast the All-Star Game[24][25] while ESPN or its sister network, ABC beginning in 2019, would broadcast the MLS Cup.
References
- ↑ Tansey, Joe (July 30, 2019). "MLS rallies from behind to win Homegrown Game". Pro Soccer USA. Retrieved December 19, 2019.
- ↑ Stephenson, Colinwas (July 14, 1996). "Soccer Fans Get Their Kicks With 2 All-star Games Today". NY Daily News. Retrieved July 15, 2012.[dead link]
- ↑ Yannis, Alex (July 16, 1996). "SOCCER REPORT". The New York Times. Retrieved July 15, 2012.
- ↑ Tansey, Joe (August 1, 2019). "MLS All-Stars ponder adjustments to All-Star Game format". Pro Soccer USA. Retrieved December 19, 2019.
- ↑ Baxter, Kevin (November 18, 2019). "MLS All-Stars will play top Liga MX players next summer at Banc of California Stadium". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 19, 2019.
- ↑ Froh, Tim (September 23, 2015). "When the MLS all-stars played Real Madrid: 'We got set up for failure'". The Guardian. Retrieved January 1, 2023.
- ↑ Williams, Bob (July 14, 2015). "Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard selections for MLS All-Star Game 2015 make perfect sense". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on July 18, 2015. Retrieved December 19, 2019.
- ↑ Mendola, Nicholas (July 30, 2018). "Zlatan suspended one match for skipping MLS All Star Game". NBC Sports. Retrieved December 19, 2019.
- ↑ "MLS announces 2014 MLS All-Star Game roster". US Soccer Players. July 21, 2014. Retrieved August 7, 2014.
- ↑ "New MLS All-Star Skills Challenge presented by Target" (Press release). Major League Soccer. July 1, 2019. Retrieved December 19, 2019.
- ↑ "MLS brings back the skills challenge". US Soccer Players. July 30, 2019. Retrieved December 19, 2019.
- ↑ "MLS All-Star Game, Leagues Cup and Campeones Cup canceled for 2020" (Press release). Major League Soccer. May 19, 2020. Retrieved May 19, 2020.
- ↑ Elias Sports Bureau, Stats Perform (January 2023). "2023 Fact and Record Book". Major League Soccer. pp. 161–167. Retrieved December 19, 2023.
- ↑ "How the MLS All-Star Game works". Arsenal F.C. March 21, 2023. Retrieved December 19, 2023.
- ↑ "MLS All-Star Game, Leagues Cup and Campeones Cup canceled for 2020". MLSsoccer.com. May 20, 2020. Archived from the original on November 23, 2022. Retrieved July 21, 2023.
- ↑ "Matt Turner named MLS All-Star Game MVP pres. by Target after PK heroics". MLSsoccer.com. August 26, 2021. Archived from the original on January 7, 2023. Retrieved July 21, 2023.
- ↑ "Dayne St. Clair Named MVP at the 2022 MLS All-Star Game". Canada Soccer. August 10, 2022. Archived from the original on July 21, 2023. Retrieved July 21, 2023.
- ↑ "Arsenal F.C. Defeats MLS All-Stars in the 2023 MLS All-Star Game". MLSsoccer.com. July 20, 2023. Archived from the original on July 21, 2023. Retrieved July 21, 2023.
- ↑ "MLS Season Pass Will Provide Enhanced Coverage for the 2023 MLS All-Star Game and All-Star Skills Challenge vs. Arsenal FC at Audi Field in Washington, DC" (Press release). Major League Soccer. July 10, 2023. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
- ↑ Reineking, Jim (July 18, 2023). "MLS All-Star Game vs. Arsenal: Rosters, game time, how to watch on live stream". USA Today. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
- ↑ Yoder, Matt (July 31, 2015). "MLS All-Star Game takes a big hit on Fox Sports 1". Awful Announcing.
- ↑ Nwulu, Mac (July 25, 2016). "ESPN Presents the 2016 MLS All-Star Game". ESPN Press Room.
- ↑ Nwulu, Mac (July 26, 2018). "ESPN Presents 2018 MLS All-Star Game from Atlanta". ESPN Press Room.
- ↑ "MLS All-Stars Mic'd Up for Live In-Game Broadcast". Fox Sports. July 31, 2019.
- ↑ "MLS announces Atletico Madrid as opponent for 2019 MLS All-Star Game". www.mlssoccer.com. May 2, 2019.
