MLS All-Star Game

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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

History

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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 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.Template: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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Players who are picked to play in the All-Star Game but refuse to join the team are suspended from one league match.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

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.<ref>Template:Cite press release</ref> The older version of the skills challenge was retired in 2001 and featured other events, including "goalie wars" and soccer tennis.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Results by team

Internal All-Star matchups

Team	Won	Lost	Total	Appearances
MLS East	5Template:Efn	1	6	Template:Flatlist
MLS West	2Template:Efn	4	6	Template:Flatlist
MLS USA	1	Template:Sort dash	1	1998
MLS World	Template:Sort dash	1	1	1998

MLS All-Stars vs invited opponents

Team	Won	Lost	Total	Appearances
Template:FlagiconTemplate:Flagicon MLS All-Stars	12	10	22	Template:Flatlist
Template:Flagicon Arsenal	2	Template:Sort dash	2	Template:Flatlist
Template:Flagicon Manchester United	2	Template:Sort dash	2	Template:Flatlist
Template:Flag icon Liga MX All-Stars	1	3	4	Template:Flatlist
Template:Flagicon Everton	1	Template:Sort dash	1	2009
Template:Flagicon Juventus	1	Template:Sort dash	1	2018
Template:Flagicon Roma	1	Template:Sort dash	1	2013
Template:Flagicon Atlético Madrid	1	Template:Sort dash	1	2019
Template:Flagicon Real Madrid	1	Template:Sort dash	1	2017
Template:Flagicon Chelsea	Template:Sort dash	2	2	Template:Flatlist
Template:Flagicon Fulham	Template:Sort dash	1	1	2005
Template:Flagicon Tottenham Hotspur	Template:Sort dash	1	1	2015
Template:Flagicon West Ham United	Template:Sort dash	1	1	2008
Template:Flagicon Bayern Munich	Template:Sort dash	1	1	2014
Template:Flagicon Guadalajara	Template:Sort dash	1	1	2003
Template:Flagicon Celtic	Template:Sort dash	1	1	2007
Template:Flagicon United States	Template:Sort dash	1	1	2002

Results by nation

Team	Winner	Runner-up	Total
Template:Flagicon United States	18	16	34
Template:Flagicon Canada	12	9	21
Template:Flagicon England	5	5	10
Template:Flagicon Italy	2	Template:Sort dash	2
Template:Flagicon Spain	2	Template:Sort dash	2
Template:Flagicon Germany	Template:Sort dash	1	1
Template:Flagicon Mexico	1	3	4
Template:Flagicon Scotland	Template:Sort dash	1	1
Template:Flagicon World	Template:Sort dash	1	1

Most Valuable Player

Template:Updated<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Template:Abbr	Winner	Nationality	Position	Team	MLS club
1996	Template:Sortname	Template:Flagu	Midfielder	Template:Fbaicon MLS East	Tampa Bay Mutiny
1997	Template:Sortname	Template:Flagu	Midfielder	Template:Fbaicon MLS East	Tampa Bay Mutiny
1998	Template:Sortname	Template:Flagu	Forward	Template:Fbaicon MLS USA	Columbus Crew
1999	Preki	Template:Flagu	Midfielder	Template:Fbaicon MLS West	Kansas City Wizards
2000	Template:Sortname	Template:Flagu	Forward	Template:Fbaicon MLS East	Tampa Bay Mutiny
2001	Template:Sortname	Template:Flagu	Forward	Template:Fbaicon MLS West	San Jose Earthquakes
2002	Template:Sortname	Template:Flagu	Forward	Template:Fbaicon MLS All-Stars	D.C. United
2003	Template:Sortname	Template:Flagu	Forward	Template:Fbaicon MLS All-Stars	LA Galaxy
2004	Template:Sortname	Template:Flagu	Midfielder	Template:Fbaicon MLS East	NY/NJ Metrostars
2005	Template:Sortname	Template:Flagu	Forward	Template:Fbaicon MLS All-Stars	New England Revolution
2006	Template:Sortname	Template:Flagu	Midfielder	Template:Fbaicon MLS All-Stars	Houston Dynamo
2007	Template:Sortname	Template:Flagu	Forward	Template:FbaiconTemplate:Fbaicon MLS All-Stars	New York Red Bulls
2008	Template:Sortname	Template:Flagu	Forward	Template:FbaiconTemplate:Fbaicon MLS All-Stars	Chicago Fire
2009	Template:Sortname	Template:Flagu	Goalkeeper	Template:Fbaicon Everton	Template:NA
2010	Template:Sortname	Template:Flagu	Forward	Template:Fbaicon Manchester United	Template:NA
2011	Template:Sortname	Template:Flagu	Midfielder	Template:Fbaicon Manchester United	Template:NA
2012	Template:Sortname	Template:Flagu	Midfielder	Template:FbaiconTemplate:Fbaicon MLS All-Stars	D.C. United
2013	Template:Sortname	Template:Flagu	Defender	Template:Fbaicon Roma	Template:NA
2014	Template:Sortname	Template:Flagu	Forward	Template:FbaiconTemplate:Fbaicon MLS All-Stars	LA Galaxy
2015	Kaká	Template:Flagu	Midfielder	Template:FbaiconTemplate:Fbaicon MLS All-Stars	Orlando City SC
2016	Template:Sortname	Template:Flagu	Forward	Template:Fbaicon Arsenal	Template:NA
2017	Template:Sortname	Template:Flagu	Forward	Template:Fbaicon Real Madrid	Template:NA
2018	Template:Sortname	Template:Flagu	Forward	Template:FbaiconTemplate:Fbaicon MLS All-Stars	Atlanta United FC
2019	Template:Sortname	Template:Flagu	Midfielder	Template:Fbaicon Atlético Madrid	Template:NA
2020	Canceled due to COVID-19 pandemic<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2021	Template:Sortname<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	Template:Flagu	Goalkeeper	Template:FbaiconTemplate:Fbaicon MLS All-Stars	New England Revolution
2022	Template:Sortname<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	Template:Flagu	Goalkeeper	Template:FbaiconTemplate:Fbaicon MLS All-Stars	Minnesota United FC
2023	Template:Sortname<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	Template:Flagu	Forward	Template:Fbaicon Arsenal	Template:NA
2024	Juan Brunetta	Template:Flagu	Midfielder	Template:Fbaicon Liga MX All-Stars	Template:NA
2025	Tai Baribo	Template:Flagu	Forward	Template:FbaiconTemplate:Fbaicon MLS All-Stars	Philadelphia Union

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;<ref>Template:Cite press release</ref> the 2023 edition was made free to stream.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

The U.S. broadcast in English alternated between ESPN and Fox from 2015 to 2022, with the networks also alternating the MLS Cup.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In even numbered years, ESPN has broadcast the All-Star Game<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> while Fox would broadcast the MLS Cup. Likewise, in odd numbered years, Fox would be slated to broadcast the All-Star Game<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> while ESPN or its sister network, ABC beginning in 2019, would broadcast the MLS Cup.