Major League Soccer has announced that Atlético de Madrid, the legendary Spanish club and 10-time champions of La Liga featuring stars such as Antoine Griezmann, Álvaro Morata, Jan Oblak, and Diego Costa will face the best in MLS in the 2019 MLS All-Star Game presented by Target.
The 2019 MLS All-Star Game presented by Target will be played at Orlando City Stadium on Wednesday, July 31 and televised domestically on FS1 and UniMás in the U.S., on TSN and TVA Sports in Canada, and in more than 170 countries around the world.
“The atmosphere in Orlando will be intense and memorable when Atlético de Madrid takes on the MLS All-Stars,” said MLS Commissioner Don Garber. "Atlético de Madrid joins the list of the many prominent clubs in global soccer to play in our midseason showcase, and we know the passionate supporters that make up The Wall and the rest of Orlando City Stadium will provide a distinctive home-field advantage for the MLS All-Stars.”
Established in 1903, Atlético de Madrid is one of most revered and popular clubs in the world. Atlético de Madrid’s 10 La Liga championships rank among the top three in Spain. With 30 trophies won across all competitions, the reigning Europa League champions currently sit second in the La Liga standings.
Among the club’s many international stars are Griezmann, the silver boot winner for 2018 FIFA World Cup champion France and a 2016 finalist for the FIFA Men’s Player of the Year Award. Prior to joining Atlético de Madrid, Griezmann spent five seasons at Real Sociedad where he was a teammate of Carlos Vela, the Los Angeles Football Club and Mexican National Team star who currently leads MLS in scoring. Among other key players, Atlético de Madrid also feature Morata, a member of the Spain National team and UEFA Champions League champion in 2014 with Real Madrid; Costa, the hard-nosed striker who has enjoyed a long and successful career at the club level and with the Spain National Team; and Oblak, one of the top goalkeepers on the international scene who has won the last three consecutive Zamora trophies as La Liga’s best goalkeeper.
“Atlético de Madrid are proud to participate in our first Major League Soccer All-Star Game and battle the many great players of MLS,” said club President Enrique Cerezo. “The U.S. and Canada have always been important markets for our club and competing in the MLS All-Star Game is an excellent opportunity to connect with our fans in North America and reach out to new ones. It will also be a great experience to play in Orlando, which has developed into a top soccer city with incredibly passionate fans since joining MLS. This is an exciting moment for Atlético de Madrid.”
The 2019 All-Star Game will mark the 16th time that an elite international club has played the MLS All-Stars. Atlético de Madrid become only the second team from La Liga to appear in the event, after Real Madrid played in the 2017 All-Star Game in Chicago. The MLS All-Stars have also faced top clubs from the English Premier League, Italy’s Serie A, Germany's Bundesliga, Mexico's Liga MX and the Scottish Premiership, owning an 8-4-3 record against some of the world’s most decorated clubs.
Tickets will be on sale to the general public beginning on May 9 at 9 a.m. CT via Ticketmaster.com.
HISTORY OF MLS ALL-STAR GAMES
1996: East 3, West 2 (E. Rutherford, N.J.)
1997: East 5, West 4 (E. Rutherford, N.J.)
1998: MLS USA 6, MLS World 1 (Orlando, Fla.)
1999: West 6, East 4 (San Diego, Calif.)
2000: East 9, West 4 (Columbus, Ohio)
2001: East 6, West 6 (San Jose, Calif.)
2002: MLS 3, U.S. National Team 2 (Washington, D.C.)
2003: MLS 3, CD Guadalajara 1 (Carson, Calif.)
2004: East 3, West 2 (Washington, D.C.)
2005: MLS 4, Fulham FC 1 (Columbus, Ohio)
2006: MLS 1, Chelsea FC 0 (Bridgeview, Ill.)
2007: MLS 2, Celtic FC 0 (Commerce City, Colo.)
2008: MLS 3, West Ham United FC 2 (Toronto, Ont., Canada)
2009: MLS 1, Everton FC 1 (Everton 4-3 pen) (Sandy, Utah)
2010: Manchester United FC 5, MLS 2 (Houston, Texas)
2011: Manchester United FC 4, MLS 0 (Harrison, N.J.)
2012: MLS 3, Chelsea FC 2 (Chester, Pa.)
2013: AS Roma 3, MLS 1 (Kansas City, Kan.)
2014: MLS 2, Bayern Munich 1 (Portland, Ore.)
2015: MLS 2, Tottenham Hotspur 1 (Commerce City, Colo.)
2016: Arsenal 2, MLS 1 (San Jose, Calif.)
2017: MLS 1, Real Madrid 1 (Real Madrid 4-2 pen) (Chicago, Ill.)
2018: Juventus 1, MLS 1 (Juventus 5-4 pen) (Atlanta)
