MLS Skills Challenge, presented by AT&T
Tuesday, July 23, 2024 – 7:30 pm ET
MLS Season Pass – Apple TV
By: Kenta Hagiwara (@kentrahagatra)
The 2024 MLS All-Star Skills Challenge is a Best of 5 Mini-Games between MLS All-Stars and Liga MX All-Stars with winners gaining grabbing rights ahead of the All-Star game on Wednesday. The five games are:
Shooting Challenge, presented by AT&T
Touch Challenge, presented by Crest
Cross & Volley Challenge, presented by AT&T
Passing Challenge, presented by Old Spice
Crossbar Challenge, presented by GilleteLabs
Participants:
Major League Soccer:
Luciano Acosta (FC Cincinnati), Jordi Alba (Inter Miami CF), Federico Bernardeschi (Toronto FC), Sergio Busquets (Inter Miami CF), Roman Bürki (St. Louis CITY SC), Evander (Portland Timbers), Diego Luna (Real Salt Lake), Juan ‘Cucho’ Hernández (Columbus Crew), Maarten Paes (FC Dallas), Riqui Puig (Los Angeles Galaxy)
Special Guests: Sacha Kljestan (MLS Season Pass/Des Moines Menace), Diana Ordóñez (Houston Dash, NWSL)
Liga MX:
Roberto Alvarado (Guadalajara), Juan Brunetta (Tigres), Sergio Canales (Monterrey), Jonathan Dos Santos (Club América), Andrés Guardado (León), Cesar Huerta (Pumas UNAM), Luis Malagon (Club América), Kevin Mier (Cruz Azul), Gonzalo Piovi (Cruz Azul), Salomón Rondón (Pachuca)
Special Guests: Luis Hernández (Liga MX), Alicia Cervantes (Chivas, LIGA MX Femenil)
MLS All-Star Game, presented by Target
Wednesday, July 24, 2024 – 8:00 pm ET
MLS Season Pass – Apple TV
Rosters:
Major League Soccer:
Head Coach: Wilfried Nancy (Columbus Crew)
Goalkeepers: Roman Bürki (St. Louis CITY SC), Hugo Lloris (Los Angeles FC), Maarten Paes (FC Dallas)
Defenders: Jordi Alba (Inter Miami CF), Moïse Bombito (Colorado Rapids), Rudy Camacho (Columbus Crew), Justen Glad (Real Salt Lake), Aaron Herrera (DC United), Thiago Martins (New York City FC), Steven Moreira (Columbus Crew), Luca Orellano (FC Cincinnati), Keegan Rosenberry (Colorado Rapids)
Midfielders: Luciano Acosta (FC Cincinnati, Captain), Sergio Busquets (Inter Miami CF), Mathieu Choinière (CF Montréal), Evander (Portland Timbers), Héctor Herrera (Houston Dynamo FC), Robin Lod (Minnesota United FC), Diego Luna (Real Salt Lake), Hany Mukhtar (Nashville SC), Darlington Nagbe (Columbus Crew), Riqui Puig (Los Angeles Galaxy).
Forwards: Christian Benteke (DC United), Federico Bernardeschi (Toronto FC), Denis Bouanga (Los Angeles FC), Juan ‘Cucho’ Hernández (Columbus Crew), Petar Musa (FC Dallas), Gabriel Pec (Los Angeles Galaxy), Diego Rossi (Columbus Crew)
OUT: Miles Robinson (FC Cincinnati), Lionel Messi (Inter Miami CF), Luis Suárez (Inter Miami CF), Cristian ‘Chicho’ Arango (Real Salt Lake), Ryan Gauld (Vancouver Whitecaps)
Liga MX:
Head Coach: Andre Jardine (Club America)
Goalkeepers: Ángel Malagón (Club America), Kevin Mier (Cruz Azul), Fernando Tapia (Tigres UANL)
Defenders: Jesús Angulo (Tigres UANL), Unai Bilbao (Club Tijuana), Brian García (Toluca), Gustavo Ferrareis (Puebla), Bryan González (CF Pachuca), Alan Mozo (Guadalajara), Alexis Peña (Club Necaxa), Gonzalo Piovi (Cruz Azul), Guido Pizarro (Tigres UANL)
Midfielders: Alán Bautista (CF Pachuca), Germán Berterame (CF Monterrey), Juan Brunetta (Tigres UANL), Nelson Deossa (CF Pachuca), Javairô Dilrosun (Club América), Jonathan Dos Santos (Club América), Rodrigo Dourado (Atlético San Luis), Álvaro Fidalgo (Club América), Andrés Guardado (Club León), César Huerta (Pumas UNAM), Oussama Idrissi (CF Pachuca), Maximiliano Meza (CF Monterrey), Carlos Rodríguez (Cruz Azul)
Forwards: Andre-Pierre Gignac (Tigres UANL), Guillermo Martínez (Pumas UNAM), Salomón Rondón (CF Pachuca)
OUT: Juan Manuel Sanabria (Atlético San Luis), Roberto Alvarado (Chivas Guadalajara), Jesús Orozco (Chivas), Sergio Canales (CF Monterrey)
Another edition of the MLS All-Star game is finally upon us, as Lower.com Field and Columbus, OH play hosts to the best that Major League Soccer and Liga MX have to offer.
MLS fans across the nation voted for their league’s captain, with FC Cincinnati midfielder Luciano Acosta earning the nod for the second consecutive year. The reigning Landon Donovan MLS MVP beat out the 8x Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi, Columbus’ hometown favorite Juan ‘Cucho’ Hernández, and the current golden boot leader in MLS, Real Salt Lake striker Cristian ‘Chicho’ Arango.
Since then, Messi suffered an injury in the Copa América Final against Colombia in Miami, and Arango was suspended for violating the league’s Anti-Harassment Policy.
Major League Soccer’s All-Stars last played Liga MX in the perennial event in 2022 in Minnesota, with Carlos Vela and Raul Ruidiaz scoring in a 2-1 win.
2023’s event welcomed the Premier League’s Arsenal to the nation’s capital. MLS All-Stars, under head coach Wayne Rooney, lost 5-0 at Audi Field – conceding goals to Gabriel Jesus, Leandro Trossard (rejoice, Anne Hathaway), Jorginho, Gabriel Martinelli, and Kai Havertz.
The MLS versus Liga MX All-Star game makes its return… and it preceeds the two leagues going head-to-head in the Leagues Cup, starting Friday, July 26.
Cover Photo Courtesy of MLS
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