Skills Challenge

2025 MLS All-Star Skills Challenge: What to know, how to watch

25AWS_Skills_WhatToKnow

MLS players, LIGA MX players and special guests will compete in the 2025 MLS All-Star Skills Challenge presented by AT&T on Tuesday evening at Austin FC's Q2 Stadium.

Watch

When

  • Tuesday, July 22 | 9 pm ET/6 pm PT

Where

  • Q2 Stadium | Austin, Texas

Fans can purchase tickets to watch All-Stars compete in five different competitions.

Star players

The MLS All-Star Skills Challenge will feature 10-player rosters for MLS and LIGA MX comprised of eight field players and two goalkeepers.

MLS highlights include Real Salt Lake midfielder Diego Luna and Inter Miami CF left back Jordi Alba.

LIGA MX's squad features Club León midfielder James Rodríguez and CF Monterrey midfielder Sergio Canales.

Special Guests

This is the second year in a row that MLS and LIGA MX greats, alongside two of the best female players in North America, will join the All-Stars in the Skills Challenge.

The MLS All-Stars are joined by US Soccer legend Clint Dempsey, who played for the New England Revolution and Seattle Sounders FC. He'll compete alongside US women’s national team captain and Lyon midfielder Lindsey Heaps.

The LIGA MX All-Stars have Mexican icon Oribe Peralta and LIGA MX Femenil standout Nicki HernƔndez (Club AmƩrica) as their special guests.

MLS All-Star Shooting Challenge presented by AT&T

  • Three players from each team will participate in this competition.
  • Rules: Players will shoot at 12 targets of varying values (two points, five points, 10 points, and the moving AT&T logo target in the final 20 seconds is worth 20 points) as they try to rack up as many points as they can for their teams. One player at a time shoots for 60 seconds in each round. Each team participates in three rounds, with the two teams alternating after each round. For instance, MLS will shoot first, followed by LIGA MX, followed by MLS, and so on.
  • Scoring: The team that scores the most points wins 1 point toward their overall score.

MLS All-Star Touch Challenge presented by Old Spice

  • Eight players per team will participate, with four players in each round, including two passers and two receivers. Each team gets two rounds of 90 seconds each.
  • Rules: In this ultimate test of first touch, the receiver collects balls crossed in by teammates or launched high in the air by a ball launcher. The receiver must control and redirect each of the 15 balls into one of four skeeball targets with varying point values (two, five, 10 and 20). The ball-launcher balls are worth double the points.
  • Scoring: The team that scores the most points wins one point towards their overall score.

MLS All-Star Cross & Volley Challenge presented by AT&T

  • Eight players per team will participate, four players per round (two passers, one shooter, one opposing goalie). There are two rounds of 60 seconds each.
  • Rules: In this event, players will showcase their skill and creativity as they compete for style points. Each goal scored by a bicycle kick is worth 20 points: 15 points for a standard one-time goal, 10 points for a control touch and goal (can’t hit the ground), and five points for a half-volley.
  • Scoring: The team that scores the most points wins one point towards their overall score.

MLS All-Star Passing Challenge presented by Bounty

  • Three players per team with two competing head-to-head in each of three rounds of 60 seconds each.
  • Rules: With targets spread across the field, players will race head-to-head to knock off the four targets before making a final pass and earning the point for their team. If both players have the same number of targets hit after time, the whistle blows to stop them, and the first to hit the final target wins the point.
  • Scoring: The team that wins two of three rounds wins a single point toward their overall score.

MLS All-Star Crossbar Challenge presented by Gillette

  • Seven players per team will participate, including all four goalkeepers in a single round, competing at the same time.
  • Rules: Both teams will compete simultaneously in this final, electrifying event that will determine the overall champion of the MLS All-Star Skills Challenge. Each team will line up players in Zone 1, located at the top of the 18-yard box, and must hit five crossbars (including each team's overall point total as hits) to unlock Zone 2, located further out from the goal. The team that has the lowest total points on the MLS All-Star Skills Scoreboard through the previous four events will go first. Teams will then alternate kicks back and forth as they aim to hit the crossbar at the top of the goal.
  • Scoring: The first team to hit The Victory Shot from Zone 2 wins the 2025 MLS All-Star Skills Challenge presented by AT&T.

MLS All-Star Goalie Wars featuring MLS NEXT Pro goalkeepers

  • 4 MLS NEXT Pro goalkeepers will participate in three rounds of 90 seconds per round mixed in throughout the in-stadium competition.
  • Rules: Goalkeepers will go head-to-head attempting to keep the ball out of their own nets while scoring on their opponent by throwing, kicking, or drop-kicking the ball. Each shot must be taken within six seconds of recovering the ball and within the 15-foot box. Each goalie can play one "Bonus Ball" per round, worth two points instead of one if scored (except in OT). Should there be a tie, each goalkeeper will get one attempt in OT before sudden-death.