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MLS All-Stars vs Liga MX All-Stars: A Rivalry Worth Keeping?

by American Dad
MLS All Stars vs Liga MX All Stars

The MLS All Star game has never really found its groove, has it?

This is something they tried to fix in 2021 when the new MLS All-Stars vs Liga MX All-Stars format was introduced. It was a deliberate attempt to turn a glitzy but ultimately empty exhibition into something with a bit more bite. The aim was to create a real rivalry between the two leagues while remaining sponsor friendly, but has it worked?

It was certainly better than those fixtures against European giants like Bayern Munich and Manchester United, who basically treated the All-Star game like a pre-season warm up. There was no real contest, and the result was meaningless.

In Liga MX, MLS had a cross border rivalry that already existed somewhat, albeit slight, so the hope was for regional pride to ignite passion in the fans.

Well, it’s 5 years later, so enough time has passed to judge the success of this new format. Is the MLS All-Stars vs Liga MX All-Stars format worth keeping? Here’s what I think.

It Worked at First

There is no denying that the change gave the game an immediate boost. The first few years were fast and physical, and surprisingly entertaining.

To be honest, though, I think any change would have provided a bit of a boost. After such a long time playing European teams who had no skin in the game, anything new would have re-energised the All Star game.

Still, it was encouraging to see players competing like it mattered.

It was a PR win too. The stadiums were packed, viewing figures looked better, and both leagues got some healthy promotion not to mention some happy sponsors.

However, I think it’s fair to say that the novelty has worn off.

A Manufactured ‘Rivalry’

The MLS All-Stars vs Liga MX All-Stars format was better, sure, but it wasn’t enough to solve the All Star game’s biggest issue: a lack of emotional investment.

Fans support clubs, not leagues. They might be proud to see a player or two from their club being called up to the All Star team, but it’s difficult to get attached to a team that only exists for a week.

The rivalry element is there in part, but it also feels manufactured. Because, quite frankly, it is manufactured. A few fans choose to engage with it, but most find it hard to invest.

So the MLS All-Star game is no longer a pure spectacle, although an element of that remains with the skills games etc., yet it is not a deep-rooted rivalry either. It’s in a sort of no-place. There is symbolism I suppose, but no real stakes.

Some players seem to feel that way too, especially those who aren’t American (All-Star games don’t really exist outside of America). Some big names have skipped recent editions, such as Messi and Alba in the 2025 edition, with no medical reason behind the decision. Minor injuries were cited as reasons in some other cases, such as Suarez having ‘discomfort’ before the 2024 All-Star game, but you can’t help feel those minor injuries would have disappeared if it was the MLS Cup final.

When players don’t prioritise the All-Star game, it undermines its importance, and the whole thing starts to fall apart.

A Purely Corporate Fixture

MLS All Star sponsor old spice

Fundamentally, the All-Star game exists for the benefit of the league. Not the players, not the fans, but the league. It exists to generate headlines, international visibility, and money from sponsorships.

They have tried to make it more than that in the past by pitching East against West, tempting fans with massive clubs from abroad, and now by introducing a ‘rivalry’ between Major League Soccer and their neighbours, but none of it has really stuck.

Why? Because fans can see through it all. The reaction from supporters is overwhelming indifference. Although funnily enough, they are quite interested in who gets selected for the team and who doesn’t, but when it comes to the actual match, it doesn’t matter to them.

Of course the stadium is always busy, but that’s deceptive. It’s easy to fill 20,000 seats when the pitch is full of stars, but how many of those fans really care about the result? And outside of the stadium, how many fans are paying any attention?

Is Another Format Change the Answer?

If the MLS All-Stars vs Liga MX All-Stars format hasn’t solved the All-Star game’s biggest issue, could another format change be the answer?

I think MLS has probably done as much as it can with the current format. The rivalry with Liga MX makes more sense than anything else so far, but the issue is longevity. Rivalries without depth, history, or consequences aren’t really rivalries at all, and the MLS All-Stars vs Liga MX All-Stars format has none of that. So they either stick with it long term and hope it starts to matter, or they try something else.

But what?

And that there is the big issue. There’s no point scrapping the current format unless they can come up with something better, and honestly, I don’t think they will. At its core, the concept of the All-Star game just doesn’t allow for anything more meaningful. We already have domestic competitions, international competitions for domestic clubs, and international competitions for the USMT – the All-Star game falls between the cracks of all of them.

So yes, the MLS All-Stars vs Liga MX All-Stars format probably is a ‘rivalry’ worth keeping, at least for now. But don’t expect it to start mattering anytime soon. You won’t hear fans chanting “MLS! MLS! MLS!”