Major League Soccer enjoyed a successful outcome.
The MLS All-Stars secured a convincing 3-1 victory against their Liga MX rivals on Wednesday evening during the MLS All-Star Game, hosted at Q2 Stadium in Austin, Texas. This win compensated for a significant 4-1 defeat in the prior year’s competition and concluded the league’s mid-season intermission.
Following a gradual start to the event, MLS initiated the scoring in the 27th minute with a header inside the penalty area by Nashville SC’s prominent player, Sam Surridge. LAFC’s Denis Bouanga provided a precise assist to Surridge, a play that was validated upon examination. Surridge is currently in a tie for the league’s highest goal count with 18 at the season’s midpoint.
This achievement allowed MLS to maintain the lead heading into the halftime interval.
Upon resuming play, MLS promptly capitalized on their momentum. Philadelphia Union’s distinguished player, Tai Baribo, advanced rapidly through the central area of the field in the 51st minute, converting an excellent pass from Diego Rossi to immediately double their advantage.
Liga MX eventually responded in the 64th minute, courtesy of Gilberto Mora, aged 16. He navigated through the penalty area and collected a loose ball before directing it into the net, catching the MLS team by surprise. Mora holds the distinction of being the youngest participant ever in the MLS All-Star Game.
Nevertheless, MLS adeptly countered to thwart any potential comeback. Vancouver Whitecaps’ star, Brian White, redirected the ball into the net off a Liga MX defender’s foot in the 79th minute, ultimately securing the two-goal triumph.
This marked the fourth instance of the MLS versus Liga MX contest over the past five years. The format was initially introduced in 2021, culminating in an MLS victory through a penalty shootout. A hiatus occurred in 2023 when Arsenal substituted for the Liga MX team. Subsequently, Liga MX outscored MLS 4-1 in the previous year’s match, achieving their inaugural victory.
What was Lionel Messi’s involvement?
The MLS All-Star Game proceeded without the presence of Inter Miami’s star player, Lionel Messi, on Wednesday night. Messi’s withdrawal from the event occurred shortly before the game, amidst speculation that he might forgo participation entirely. Both he and his Inter Miami teammate, Jordi Alba, were removed from the finalized MLS roster on Wednesday following their absence from Monday’s training session. The rationale behind his absence remains undisclosed.
Messi was similarly absent from the prior year’s All-Star Game due to an ankle injury sustained during a Copa América match representing Argentina.
MLS regulations stipulate that players who withdraw from the All-Star Game without a sanctioned medical justification will face a one-game suspension. However, it remains unclear whether either Messi or Alba will be subject to this penalty. Former LA Galaxy star Zlatan Ibrahimović received a suspension for a single match due to his absence from the 2018 game. Inter Miami is scheduled to resume play on Saturday against FC Cincinnati.
Statistics for MLS Season Pass
In anticipation of Wednesday night’s game, MLS commissioner Don Garber disclosed insights into the league’s viewership performance under its exclusive arrangement with Apple.
According to Alex Silverman of the Sports Business Journal, Garber stated that Apple TV+’s MLS Season Pass is registering an average of 120,000 unique viewers for each match. This signifies a 50% surge compared to the previous season.
Apple and MLS entered into a 10-year broadcasting agreement in 2022, valued at approximately $2.5 billion. This agreement superseded the prior media rights deal with ESPN, Univision, and Fox, thereby consolidating all MLS games behind a paywall within Apple TV+. As the league now exclusively streams games, accessibility to viewership statistics has become less transparent.
In contrast, ESPN networks averaged in excess of 300,000 viewers for their MLS matches during the 2022 season—the final year before the Apple deal was initiated. The MLS All-Star Game from that year attracted a cumulative audience of 1.53 million viewers, as indicated by Sports Media Watch.
