Some of the best talents from the club game in North America are heading to Austin, Texas this week for the 2025 MLS All-Star Game and Skills Challenge, a marquee summer event for American soccer.
While entire squads of standout MLS and Liga MX players will go head-to-head in Wednesday’s All-Star Game, Tuesday brings a precursor with the skills competition.
It might not be found at many places in the world, but in a uniquely American way, the skills competition could offer some true highlight-reel moments from some of the best players outside of Europe.
Here’s everything you need to know about the event.
What Time is the MLS All-Star Skills Challenge?
- Location: Austin, Texas
- Stadium: Q2 Stadium
- Date: Tuesday, July 22
- Kick-off Time: 9:00 pm ET/6:00 pm PT
How to Watch the MLS All-Star Skills Challenge For Free
Who is Competing in the MLS All-Star Skills Challenge?
The All-Star Skills Challenge includes several players from the best MLS and Liga MX teams, as selected from the rosters named to Wednesday's MLS vs. Liga MX All-Star Game.
Among those participating for MLS are Inter Miami defender Jordi Alba, and U.S. men's national team players, Diego Luna, Sebastian Berhalter and Alex Freeman. Additionally, MLS Golden Boot co-leader Sam Surridge will be in the competition as well as MLS MVP candidates Evander and Anders Dreyer.
In addition to the MLS All-Stars, the team will also include iShowSpeed, former Seattle Sounders striker Clint Dempsey and FIFA Women's World Cup champion Lindsay Heaps.
For Liga MX, the lineup is headlined by former Real Madrid star James Rodriguez, as well as Mexican national team stars Luis Angél Malagon and Alexis Vega, among others.
Some absolute ballers. 🔥
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) July 15, 2025
The MLS All-Star Skills Challenge roster is locked in. 🔒 pic.twitter.com/ivM8H7T9rj
What Are the MLS All-Star Skills Challenge Events?
The skills competition will see players competing in five different events, with a different selection of contestants in each. Each of the first four individual events are worth one point towards a team's overall score, which will determine the Skills Challenge winner.
Last season, Liga MX defeated MLS in the skills competition.
Shooting Challenge
That time @CuchoHernandez took on the Shooting Challenge... 🎯
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) July 21, 2025
🎟️ Don't miss this year's #MLSAllStar Skills Challenge pres. by @ATT: https://t.co/1GpdiVgooP pic.twitter.com/N18S1ksvhW
The shooting challenge is one of the five events that MLS and Liga MX players will square off in on Tuesday night. Each team will select three players to shoot at 12 targets with different values over 60 seconds.
Values are either two points, five points, or 10 points, with a moving target released in the final 20 seconds being worth 20 points.
There will be three rounds, with teams alternating in each, and the team that wins the challenge with the most points will earn a single point towards the overall MLS All-Star Skills Challenge score.
Touch Challenge
In addition to the shooting challenge, players will take on the touch challenge to test their control, using eight players from each team.
Four players will participate in each round, with two passers and two receivers, competing over two 90-second rounds. The challenge tests first touch, with balls passed by teammates or a ball-launcher, setting up the receiver to control and pass each of the 15 balls into a skeeball-style target with varying values.
Like the rest of the challenge, the team that ends with the most points earns a single point to their overall score.
Cross & Volley Challenge
The cross and volley challenge comes back to the MLS All-Star Skills Challenge and will feature eight players per team in a test of skill, control and finishing.
The players include two passers, a shooter and an opposing goalkeeper, battling through two rounds of 60 seconds. In the event, players will earn points on style, with a bicycle kick worth 20 points, a one-touch volley worth 15 points, 10 points for a controlled touch and goal and five points for a half volley.
Passing Challenge
The All-Star Passing Challenge sees three rounds of 1-v-1 battles, with a total of three players per team, in rounds of 60 seconds each.
Targets are spread across the field as players race to knock over the four targets with a pass, which earns a point for their respective teams. If both have hit the same number of targets after the 60 seconds, the first to hit the final target will secure the point.
Crossbar Challenge
One of the most popular challenges in any soccer training, the crossbar challenge hits the MLS All-Star Skills Challenge stage.
Each team will have seven players participating, including all four goalkeepers at a single time in one round with alternating shots. Players will line up in Zone 1 at the top of the penalty area and must hit the crossbar five times to unlock Zone 2, which is further from the goal.
After that, teams will aim to hit The Victory Shot from Zone 2 to end the MLS All-Star Skills Challenge.
Past MLS All-Star Skills Competition Winners
- 2024: Liga MX All-Stars def. MLS All-Stars
- 2023: Arsenal FC def. MLS All-Stars
- 2022: MLS All-Stars def. Liga MX All-Stars
- 2021: Liga MX All-Stars def. MLS
- 2019: Orlando City SC def. MLS All-Stars and Atlético Madrid
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as 2025 MLS All-Star Skills Challenge: Ultimate Guide, How to Watch for Free.
