NEW YORK (June 9, 2021) – After a year of building anticipation, Major League Soccer today announced that the 2021 MLS All-Star Game presented by Target will see the MLS All-Stars face off against the LIGA MX All-Stars on Wednesday, August 25, at Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles. For the first time ever, two rival leagues will go head-to-head in an unprecedented matchup that will be the showpiece event of the summer, as the entire soccer community unites to celebrate the sport and soccer culture in North America.
The match on August 25 will be broadcast in the U.S. on FS1 and Univision, in Canada on TSN and TVA Sports, on ESPN throughout Mexico and Latin America, and in more than 190 countries and territories around the world.
With the city of Los Angeles as the perfect backdrop, MLS All-Star week will come to life with both Leagues leaving a lasting legacy through fan engagement opportunities and charitable initiatives that foster more inclusive and equitable communities including providing access to soccer in underserved communities through the MLS WORKS Community Day presented by Target and MLS WORKS Day of Service presented by Wells Fargo, spotlighting the style of soccer during the MLS All-Star Skills Challenge presented by AT&T, and celebrating the intersection of soccer and music at the MLS All-Star Concert presented by Heineken®.
“Fans have been looking forward to this historic matchup for more than a year, and we have no doubt the 2021 MLS All-Star Game presented by Target will prove to be worth the wait,” said MLS Commissioner Don Garber. “A game of this magnitude in Los Angeles, played in front of incredible fans in one of the greatest soccer stadiums in global soccer, is unlike anything our sport has seen. This event is a perfect expression of the groundbreaking partnership that continues to build between MLS and LIGA MX.”
The 2021 MLS All-Star Game presented by Target is the latest piece of the partnership between MLS and LIGA MX, which also includes major events on the soccer calendar such as Leagues Cup and Campeones Cup.
"LIGA MX is proud to be part of the 2021 MLS All-Star Game," said LIGA MX Executive President Mikel Arriola. "This is going to be an intense match in a fantastic setting and world-class stadium in Los Angeles, a city that has a deep connection to our country, league, players and fans. The 2021 All-Star Game is another step in the partnership we have established between two of the best leagues in the world, and it will only intensify the rivalry between MLS and LIGA MX, and is an important part of the internationalization project of our League to reach more audiences beyond Mexico. We are looking forward to playing for the supporters of LIGA MX and giving soccer fans around the world a match they will never forget."
Bob Bradley, the three-time MLS Coach of the Year with host club Los Angeles Football Club, will coach the MLS All-Stars. In 2019, Bradley led LAFC to the Supporters’ Shield as the club set a new MLS regular season points record.
“This will be a special night of football in Los Angeles,” said Bradley. “It is always an honor to represent our city and our league on the international stage, and we look forward to competing against the LIGA MX All-Stars.”
MLS All-Star Game tickets go on sale on Thursday, July 14, and more information about the MLS All-Star schedule of events will be announced in the coming weeks.
Opened in 2018, Banc of California Stadium made history as the first open-air sporting venue built in Los Angeles since Dodger Stadium opened in April 1962. The club’s iconic independent supporters’ union, the 3252, creates an environment like few others in North American sports. With stunning views of the L.A. skyline and first-class amenities, the stadium will provide an unmatched experience for fans. Long known as one of the premier sports cities in the United States, the 2021 MLS All-Star Game continues the rich soccer history of Los Angeles, which hosted the 1994 World Cup Final and is among the cities bidding for the opportunity to host 2026 FIFA World Cup matches.
This will be the first MLS All-Star Game in Los Angeles since 2003, when the MLS All-Stars defeated LIGA MX’s Club Deportivo Guadalajara 3-1 at Dignity Health Sports Park (formerly the Home Depot Center), home of the LA Galaxy. The 2003 event was the first MLS All-Star Game against a club from another country.
