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The MLS All-Star Game is coming to Washington, D.C., after MLS awarded the 2023 summer showcase to D.C. United and Audi Field. The league made its announcement Thursday in the U.S. capital, which staged the event twice before, in 2002 and 2004. The match will take place on July 19, 2023.
The first time the game was held in D.C. featured a group of MLS All-Stars vs. members of the U.S. men’s national team at RFK Stadium on the heels of the U.S’s run to the 2002 World Cup quarterfinals, while the second was also at RFK in an East vs. West format. That was the last match before MLS went to a format in which it played against a European club. This one will be played at a four-year-old stadium against an opponent that is still to be determined.
As for the 2022 All-Star Game, for a second straight season, MLS will play a team of Liga MX All-Stars. After a spirited contest at LAFC’s Banc of California Stadium last year, which was won by MLS on penalty kicks thanks to the heroics of Matt Turner and Ricardo Pepi, the two leagues will send their best to Minnesota United’s Allianz Field. That match is slated for Aug. 10. There was no indication Thursday on whether Liga MX would be a repeat opponent next summer, which will also coincide with the launch of the expanded Leagues Cup competition between the two neighboring leagues.
“We are thrilled to bring the MLS All-Star Game and festivities back to Washington, D.C., a city with a rich soccer history, as well as a diverse and vibrant soccer culture,” MLS commissioner Don Garber said in a statement. “D.C. United and the community have always held a special place in the hearts of everyone who believed in the power and growth of soccer in the U.S., and Audi Field will provide an incredible backdrop for next summer’s game.”
