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Lionel Messi, Son Heung-min and a pair of U.S. men's national team players have been named to the 2026 MLS All-Star game in Charlotte, N.C. in late July, headlining the initial eleven players announced for the match.
Inter Miami icon Messi, who will have turned 39 by the time the game takes place, earns his third All-Star selection since arriving in MLS in 2023, though questions remain over his participation after he sat out the league's flagship event last year. Son, meanwhile, earns his first selection after signing with LAFC last summer.
Joining them are two World Cup-destined USMNT players, including captain and Charlotte FC defender Tim Ream and Vancouver Whitecaps midfielder Sebastian Berhalter. Should Messi, either of them, or any other selected player choose to skip the event, they will face a suspension for their club's next MLS fixture.
Under the guidance of Charlotte FC manager Dean Smith, the MLS All-Stars will take on the best from Liga MX in a skills competition on July 28, followed by the annual showcase match on July 29, with both events hosted at Bank of America Stadium.
MLS All-Stars—How It Works
The league's brightest stars. ⭐
Meet the First XI for the MLS All-Star Game pres. by @chime pic.twitter.com/DaefafwnkC
The complete squad will consist of 26 players, with only the opening eleven revealed this week. Even so, the roster already boasts five players set to compete at the 2026 World Cup, with Messi leading Argentina's title defense, Son representing South Korea, Berhalter and Ream featuring for the USMNT, and Mbekezeli Mbokazi flying the flag for South Africa.
For the MLS side, the full roster is assembled through a combination of fan votes, 13 selections by Smith, and two picks by MLS commissioner Don Garber. Following several weeks of voting, Chicago Fire center back Mbokazi topped the fan poll and is poised to become only the second South African player ever named to an MLS All-Star squad, while Son achieves the same milestone for South Korean players.
Among the 11 fan-voted picks, five had previously earned MLS All-Star honors, with Berhalter, Messi, Hany Mukhtar, and Andy Najar all representing the league in 2025, while Tim Ream last received the call for the 2011 MLS All-Star Game, which saw the selection face off against Manchester United.
2026 marks the fifth occasion in the past six seasons that the event will adopt the MLS vs. Liga MX format, having previously featured matchups between the Eastern and Western Conferences as well as clashes against prominent European clubs, including Arsenal, Real Madrid, and Bayern Munich.
Last season, the MLS All-Stars claimed a 3–1 victory over Liga MX in Austin and also took the skills challenge, bouncing back after falling in both competitions in 2024.
MLS All-Stars—First Selections
