MLS’ All-Stars have faced off against the likes of Manchester United, Juventus, Arsenal and Real Madrid in the past (and, it must be said, failed to beat any of them).
This year, though, the All-Stars have a slightly more manageable challenge. They’ll take on the All Stars of Liga MX in a battle for North American supremacy.
The last time that the MLS All-Stars faced the Liga MX All-Stars, Liga MX dominated, winning the match, 4-1, in front of a packed crowd in Columbus, Ohio. But the MLS All-Stars lead the all-time series, 2-1, having beaten the Liga MX All-Stars twice in a row in 2021 and 2022.
There are plenty of juicy storylines between these two familiar foes. Here are the biggest ones as they prepare for their fourth official All-Star meeting:
The Barcelona — Real Madrid — PSG connection
MLS fans know that Inter Miami has something of a Barcelona connection: It features four massive stars from the near-unbeatable Barcelona squad of the early 2010s.
Two of them, Messi and Jordi Alba, will represent MLS in this All-Star game. Messi and Alba combined for three goals just last weekend and continue to set the bar in MLS.
And who, pray tell, will be charged with stopping them? Why, their former Real Madrid rival Sergio Ramos, that’s who.
The galactico legend joined Monterrey this season and has lit up Liga MX with his antics. What Messi and Alba are to offensive skill, Ramos is to defensive skill; he’s unquestionably one of the greatest center backs of all time.
Messi and Ramos briefly united at Paris Saint-Germain in the early 2020s, but they haven’t faced off against one another in ages. Their long-overdue All-Star showdown should be nothing short of electric.
A Gold Cup reunion
The United States Men’s National Team that made it all the way to the Gold Cup final featured lots of MLS players, and many of them have rightfully claimed their place in this All-Star lineup.
Defenders Miles Robinson (Cincinnati), Alex Freeman (Orlando) and Max Arfsten (Columbus), midfielders Sebastian Berhalter (Vancouver) and Diego Luna (Salt Lake) and forward Brian White (Vancouver) are all present and correct in this All-Star lineup. The camaraderie they built during the 40-day Gold Cup stretch this summer should help them immensely in this match.
They’ll need all the help they can get, though, because a familiar foe will be standing in goal for the Liga MX All-Stars. Luis Malagon, the starting goalkeeper for the Mexico national team and presumed successor to Memo Ochoa, will be eager to prove that his strong performance against the USMNT in the Gold Cup wasn’t a fluke.