MLS All-Star XI Revealed for Liga MX Showdown

The MLS All-Star XI has arrived, and it looks every bit as heavyweight as the league promised.

A blend of star power, form players, and rising talent, the side has been shaped by fans, media, and players into a lineup that will carry MLS into its latest showdown with Liga MX at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte on July 29.

A XI with bite

Between the posts, Nashville SC’s Brian Schwake gets the nod, a reward for a breakout campaign that’s pushed him into the league’s elite goalkeeping conversation.

In front of him, the back four has a fresh feel. On the left, Anthony Markanich of Minnesota United earns his first All-Star selection, a testament to his surge in influence on both sides of the ball. The center-back pairing mixes new blood with a familiar name: Chicago Fire’s Mbekezeli Mbokazi lines up alongside Tim Ream, now of Charlotte FC. On the right, Nashville SC’s Andy Najar completes a back line that can defend but also step into midfield and drive play forward.

Ream’s inclusion carries a different kind of weight. This is his second All-Star call — and his first in 15 years. He last made the team in 2011, back when he wore the colors of the New York Red Bulls. To return now, deep into a storied career, and do it as a Charlotte player with the game in his home city adds a layer of narrative MLS could hardly script better.

Midfield balance and a rising star

Sebastian Berhalter of the Vancouver Whitecaps anchors midfield as the defensive shield, the pivot tasked with knitting together a side stacked with attacking intent.

Ahead of him, the spotlight swings toward one of the league’s most intriguing young stories. Zavier Gozo of Real Salt Lake, already linked with a potential move to Aston Villa, breaks into the All-Star picture as one of six first-timers. His selection underlines how quickly he has forced his way into the conversation, not just as a prospect, but as a genuine difference-maker.

Alongside him, Hany Mukhtar of Nashville SC brings the creativity and end product that have become his calling cards. With Gozo’s energy and Mukhtar’s guile, the All-Star XI has a midfield capable of tilting the game in an instant.

Firepower up front

Then comes the front line — and this is where the glamour truly kicks in.

Chicago Fire’s Hugo Cuypers leads the line, his inclusion a nod to his consistent finishing and work rate. To his flanks stand two global icons: Son Heung-Min of LAFC and Leo Messi of Inter Miami.

Son’s selection arrives with a hint of inevitability. Had he joined MLS earlier last summer, he likely would have walked into the All-Star team then. This time, there was no delay. His first All-Star nod feels less like a breakthrough and more like a correction.

Messi, of course, needs no introduction. His presence alone shapes the occasion, even as the memory of last year’s controversy lingers.

Lessons from last year’s no-shows

Twelve months ago, the All-Star showcase was overshadowed. Messi and fellow Inter Miami star Jordi Alba were both selected but never appeared at the game. The fallout was swift: both received one-match suspensions.

The league has made it clear that the same standard still applies. In a statement confirming the rule, MLS reiterated that any player who skips the All-Star Game without prior league approval will be ineligible for their club’s next match. The message is simple: if you’re picked, you show up, or you sit out.

With Messi once again on the roster, that backdrop adds an edge. The expectation is not just that the stars will be named — but that they will actually take the field.

MLS vs Liga MX, again

Once more, MLS’s best will face the top talents from Liga MX, a rivalry that has grown into a reliable summer spectacle. Liga MX has yet to reveal its selections this year; last season, its squad dropped in mid-June, roughly a month before the game. A similar timeline would set the stage neatly for the buildup in Charlotte.

Six first-time All-Stars — Gozo, Son, Markanich, Schwake, Cuypers, and Mbokazi — join established names like Messi, Mukhtar, and Ream in a squad that feels both current and forward-looking.

The cast is set on the MLS side. The only question now is whether this group can turn a star-studded lineup on paper into a statement performance under the lights in Charlotte.