Minnesota United and the MNUFC Academy, along with MLS NEXT, today announced today that U16/U18 midfielder Max Harwood has been selected to play for the West Team during the fifth annual MLS NEXT All-Star Game, presented by Allstate. The game will showcase North America’s top young players in an East versus West matchup at Mecklenburg County Sportsplex in Matthews, North Carolina on Monday, July 27 at 6:30 p.m. CT, streaming live on MLS’ YouTube channel and MLSsoccer.com.
Max Harwood is a 16-year-old midfielder from Minneapolis, Minnesota who has played with MNUFC’s Academy since 2023. During the 2025-26 MLS NEXT season, Harwood primarily competed with the club’s U18 side, playing a key role on the squad throughout the year with 12 games played and over 700 minutes of action. Additionally, he has been consistently training and playing games with MNUFC2, the club’s MLS NEXT Pro developmental team. With the Twos in 2026, he has made 14 game appearances and has played nearly 650 minutes, to-date. Prior to his time with the MNUFC Academy, he played for Keliix Intra Soccer Club in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Harwood now becomes the fifth Loon to represent the MNUFC Academy in the MLS NEXT All-Star Game, and Minnesota United has had a representative in that game every single year it has been played since 2022. See below a list of young Loons to earn the academy-level All-Star honor, with their year and All-Star Game location:
- U19 defender Carlos Leatherman (2022 in Blaine, Minnesota)
- U19 midfielder Kage Romanshyn Jr. (2023 in Annapolis, Maryland)
- U17 forward Darius Randell (2024 in Columbus, Ohio)
- U16 forward Tim Dennis (2025 in Austin, Texas)
- U16/U18 midfielder Max Harwood (2026 in Charlotte, N.C.)
Harwood is among the 44 players across the academy-level league who will compete in the match, played at the Mecklenburg County Sportsplex in Matthews, North Carolina – just outside of Charlotte. The 44 players were selected following the conclusion of the 2025-26 regular season and 2026 MLS NEXT Cup presented by Allstate. To be eligible for selection, players must have been born between 2009-11 and have competed in either the MLS NEXT regular season or in at least one of MLS NEXT’s premier events – MLS NEXT Fest, MLS NEXT Flex presented by Allstate, Generation adidas Cup, or MLS NEXT Cup Playoffs.
MLS NEXT and Allstate will provide Harwood and the players with unique opportunities during MLS All-Star Week, which will include a full slate of programming events. The festivities include attending team training, the 2026 MLS All-Star Skills Challenge presented by AT&T on July 28, and the MLS All-Star Game presented by Chime on July 29.
About MLS NEXT
Launched in 2020, MLS NEXT is the most elite platform for youth player development in North America. With a commitment to innovation and providing access and representation, MLS NEXT players receive the best training and coaching as they prepare for their futures, both in soccer and in life. For more information about MLS NEXT, visit www.mlssoccer.com/mlsnext.
