MLS on Wednesday announced that the 2021 all-star game will be held at Banc of California Stadium on August 25. The format of the all-star game will also be different, as instead of the MLS all-stars facing an international club side, as has been the case since 2005 and 16 times total, the MLS all-stars will face off against a Liga MX all-star squad.
“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 MLS all-stars were 8-5-3 against International club teams in the 16 times this format was applied. Of those 16 opponents the MLS all-stars faced, only one came from Liga MX, which was Chivas Guadalajara in 2003. That year’s game was also held in Los Angeles, though at the Galaxy’s home, back then called Home Depot Center. That year’s all-star squad defeated Chivas 3-2 in a back-and-forth contest, with the then-Chicago Fire duo of Ante Razov and DaMarcus Beasley as well as Carlos Ruiz, back then with the Galaxy, supplying the goals. Ruiz’s goal was the eventual winning goal, which earned him MVP honors.
MLS Commissioner Don Garber, left, will see the best of his league face off against the best of Javier Arriola’s Liga MX.
This year’s version of the all-star game will feature MLS’ best against the best of Liga MX. This latest collaboration between the North America’s top two soccer leagues is the continuation of an ever-evolving relationship between the two leagues. Over the last three decades, MLS and Liga MX have staged competitions featuring MLS and Liga MX sides, such as the North American Superliga, which lasted from 2007 until 2010, and more recently, the Campeones Cup, which is held between the MLS Cup Champion and the winner of Liga MX’s Campeon de Campeones, which is held bApetura and Clausura seasons.
“We together along with Liga MX need to make our region more viable, powerful, and influential, and the only way to do that is to have collaborations on a wide variety of levels,” MLS Commissioner Don Garber said.
Liga MX captured three of the four North American Superliga titles and have so far split the two Campeones Cup titles, with Tigres UNAL defeating Toronto FC in 2018 and Atlanta United defeating America in 2019. The Campeones Cup is set to resume in 2021, with the reigning MLS Cup Champion Columbus Crew set to host the winner between Apetura winner Leon and Clausura winner Cruz Azul, with the match taking place at the Crew’s new stadium.
