FORT LAUDERDALE — Inter Miami CF forwards Lionel Messi and midfielder Rodrigo De Paul earned spots on the 29-player MLS All-Star roster that will face the LIGA MX All-Stars on July 29 at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, with kickoff set for 8 p.m. on Apple TV.
Messi, the Argentine great and reigning MLS Cup champion, was voted in by fans, while De Paul was selected by the head coach. De Paul, in his first full MLS season after arriving on loan from Atlético Madrid last summer before making a permanent move, has posted 4 goals and 7 assists in 13 matches. He helped lead the Herons to their MLS Cup 2025 title.
Chicago Fire FC center back Mbekezeli Mbokazi, a 20-year-old South African coming off a breakout 2026 World Cup, led all players in All-Star fan voting — surpassing even Messi. Orlando City goalkeeper Maxime Crépeau, an MLS veteran in his first season with the Lions, earned a coach’s selection after ranking among the league leaders in saves. Crépeau started every match of Canada’s historic run to the Round of 16 at the 2026 World Cup.
Nashville SC leads all clubs with four selections: goalkeeper Brian Schwake, defender Andy Najar, midfielder Hany Mukhtar and forward Sam Surridge. Surridge has nine goals in eight matches this season and is chasing a third straight season with double-digit goals. Najar leads all MLS defenders with five assists as Nashville pace the Supporters’ Shield race. Charlotte FC, the host club, placed three players on the roster: defender Tim Ream, midfielder Pep Biel and midfielder Ashley Westwood, who has logged 600-plus professional games and wears the captain’s armband for head coach Dean Smith’s side. Ream captained the United States to their Round of 16 finish at the World Cup.
The roster features several high-profile international arrivals. Son Heung-Min of LAFC was voted in at forward, while Bayern Munich legend Thomas Müller earned a coach’s selection after joining Vancouver last summer. Sebastian Berhalter, also of Vancouver, earned MLS Best XI honors in 2025, scored at the World Cup and has 6 goals and 7 assists for the Whitecaps in 2026. San Diego FC forward Anders Dreyer, the 2025 MLS Newcomer of the Year, has 6 goals and 9 assists in 15 games and is the second-fastest player in MLS history to record 20 goals and 20 assists.
The full 29-man squad includes three goalkeepers — Crépeau, Matt Freese of New York City FC and Schwake — along with 10 defenders, nine midfielders and seven forwards. Defenders Max Arfsten and Steven Moreira represent Columbus Crew, while Lucas Herrington of Colorado Rapids, Richie Laryea of Toronto FC, Anthony Markanich of Minnesota United FC, Daniel Munie of San Jose Earthquakes and Jackson Ragen of Seattle Sounders FC round out the back line. Markanich has scored 13 regular-season goals over the last season and a half. Laryea, a two-time World Cup veteran with Canada, earned a commissioner’s pick. Additional midfield selections include Evander of FC Cincinnati, Carles Gil of New England Revolution and Zavier Gozo of Real Salt Lake. Hugo Cuypers of Chicago Fire FC, Julian Hall of Red Bull New York and Petar Musa of FC Dallas complete the forward group.
The MLS All-Star Game against the LIGA MX All-Stars kicks off July 29 at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte.