⭐️ Messi and Lozano headline 2025 MLS All-Star roster reveal
Major League Soccer has officially unveiled its roster for the 2025 All-Star game, in which they will face off against Liga MX All-Stars on Wednesday, July 23 at Q2 Stadium in Austin.
The 26-player squad, selected through a mix of fan, media, and player votes, as well as picks by All-Star coach Nico Estévez and Commissioner Don Garber, features a blend of established names and first-time selections.
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Here is the roster in full...
GOALKEEPERS (3)
📸 Simon Fearn-Imagn Images
Dayne St. Clair (Minnesota United FC / Voted In)
Brad Stuver (Austin FC / Coach's Selection)
Yohei Takaoka (Vancouver Whitecaps FC / Coach's Selection)
DEFENDERS (8)
📸 Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
Jordi Alba (Inter Miami CF / Voted In)
Max Arfsten (Columbus Crew / Coach's Selection)
Tristan Blackmon (Vancouver Whitecaps FC / Voted In)
Michael Boxall (Minnesota United FC / Voted In)
Alex Freeman (Orlando City SC / Voted In)
Jakob Glesnes (Philadelphia Union / Coach's Selection
Andy Najar (Nashville SC / Coach's Selection)
Miles Robinson (FC Cincinnati / Coach's Selection)
MIDFIELDERS (6)
📸 Anne-Marie Sorvin-Imagn Images
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Sebastian Berhalter (Vancouver Whitecaps FC / Voted In)
David Da Costa (Portland Timbers / Coach's Selection)
Evander (FC Cincinnati / Voted In)
Diego Luna (Real Salt Lake / Voted In
Jeppe Tverskov (San Diego FC / Coach's Selection)
Philip Zinckernagel (Chicago Fire FC / Coach's Selection)
FORWARDS / WINGERS (9)
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Patrick Agyemang (Charlotte FC / Commissioner's Pick)
Tai Baribo (Philadelphia Union / Voted In)
Denis Bouanga (LAFC / Voted In). Anders Dreyer (San Diego FC / Coach's Selection)
Hirving 'Chucky' Lozano (San Diego FC / Commissioner's Pick)
Lionel Messi (Inter Miami CF / Voted In)
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Diego Rossi (Columbus Crew / Coach's Selection)
Brandon Vázquez (Austin FC / Coach's Selection)
Brian White (Vancouver Whitecaps FC / Voted In)
Messi Leads Star-Studded Lineup
Inter Miami's Lionel Messi (38) and Jordi Alba (36) headline the list of All-Stars, with Messi earning selection via fan vote. The veteran duo represent the most experienced players on the roster.
San Diego FC's Hirving 'Chucky' Lozano is another marquee name, selected by Commissioner Garber in his debut MLS season. The former Pachuca and Napoli winger is one of three All-Stars from expansion side San Diego, alongside Jeppe Tverskov and Anders Dreyer — the most players from a debut club since Atlanta United in 2017.
Vancouver Dominates Selections
📸 Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
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Western Conference leaders Vancouver Whitecaps FC lead all clubs with four selections: Sebastian Berhalter, Tristan Blackmon, Yohei Takaoka, and Brian White. Remarkably, all four are first-time All-Stars.
In total, 15 players are making their All-Star debut, including notable young talents like Orlando City's Alex Freeman (20) and Real Salt Lake's Diego Luna (21). Six players on the roster are aged 24 or younger.
Selection Breakdown
12 players voted in by fans, media, and players.
12 players chosen by coach Nico Estévez (Austin FC).
2 players selected by Commissioner Don Garber.
Veteran Presence and Global Reach
📸 Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images
Columbus Crew's Diego Rossi leads the group with four career All-Star nods. He's joined by multiple-time All-Stars Denis Bouanga (LAFC), Jakob Glesnes (Philadelphia), and Miles Robinson (Cincinnati).
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Sixteen different countries are represented on the roster. The United States leads with nine players, while Denmark follows with three. Notable international picks include Japan's Yohei Takaoka, Norway's Anders Dreyer, and Uruguay's Rossi.
LIGA MX Connections
📸 Scott Kinser-Imagn Images
Two All-Stars bring LIGA MX experience into the matchup against the LIGA MX All-Stars on July 23 at Austin's Q2 Stadium: Brandon Vázquez, formerly of Monterrey, and Lozano, who starred for Pachuca.
📸 Megan Briggs - 2025 Getty Images
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New York Times
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- New York Times
The Padres have ample reason to regret trading for Juan Soto. A.J. Preller insists he doesn't
SAN DIEGO — As the Padres hosted the Washington Nationals over the past few days, with James Wood flaunting his power in his Petco Park debut and MacKenzie Gore firing six strong innings and CJ Abrams flying around the bases, A.J. Preller watched the proceedings with what he later described as something resembling satisfaction. Advertisement Almost three years ago, San Diego's president of baseball operations agreed to a historic blockbuster, surrendering coveted young players Wood, Gore, Abrams, Robert Hassell III and Jarlin Susana in order to acquire superstar outfielder Juan Soto. This week, two curtailed postseason trips later, the Padres find themselves on the crowded fringes of the National League playoff picture, fielding multiple roster holes and likely faced with limited flexibility ahead of the July 31 trade deadline. Yet, speaking after the Padres eked out a second consecutive one-run victory, Preller was reflective, if not defiant. He praised his scouts for identifying the five prospects who eventually comprised an unprecedented trade-deadline package. He pointed to Soto's role in helping the Padres to the 2022 National League Championship Series, as well as the return San Diego secured for sending him to the New York Yankees before last year's run to the NL Division Series. And he said he felt happiness for Wood, Gore and Abrams, a trio with the potential to outnumber or at least match the tally of Padres representatives in next month's All-Star Game. FLEECE EM — Washington Nationals (@Nationals) June 24, 2025 'Honestly,' Preller said Wednesday, 'I think in the baseball ops group we look back with a lot of pride and not regret.' The coming weeks and months could either reinforce or alter those feelings. The Padres, at 44-36, are in a tie for the NL's final wild-card spot. Their offense continues to disappoint. Their shorthanded pitching staff continues to demonstrate resilience, even as Dylan Cease and Michael King move closer to free agency. Team officials maintain that their farm system, depleted by years of win-now moves, has become significantly underrated, but the Padres also must contend with certain financial realities. For one, no team has a larger gap between its payroll ($211 million, as estimated by FanGraphs) and its luxury-tax figure ($263 million, slightly above the second tax threshold). Advertisement Perhaps the Padres can take solace in the fact that the Nationals have failed to optimize their own position. The Nationals entered Wednesday having received at least 2.5 wins above replacement this season from each of Wood, Gore and Abrams. They were one of only three teams with three such players. The other two clubs, the Philadelphia Phillies and Houston Astros, occupy familiar perches atop their respective divisions. 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Preller took advantage of such freedom, knowing that his quest could require giving up the likes of Wood and Gore, two players the Padres had previously deemed untouchable. 'You're hoping that we could trade for Juan Soto with none of those guys in there, but we know that's not realistic,' Preller said. 'We had a team that ended up getting to the NLCS for the third time in franchise history and was three games away from a World Series. And from day one, I've talked about playing on the big stage. That's what it's about for our franchise, is getting to a World Series and winning a World Series for San Diego. Advertisement 'And with Peter, having an ability from a payroll standpoint and a prospect standpoint to be in that conversation, I think ultimately it set us up for the last few years of playoff runs,' Preller continued. 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an hour ago
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The All-IL team: As more MLB stars go down, building an All-Star team of injured players
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The Angels have been without right-handed DH Jorge Soler since mid-June, and the Rockies have been without veteran Kris Bryant since mid-April. Blake Treinen (Dodgers), Evan Phillips (Dodgers), Justin Martinez (Diamondbacks), Jordan Hicks (Red Sox), Jason Foley (Tigers) We could literally fill an entire pitching staff with injured Dodgers. The team has 13 pitchers on the IL, including at least three would-be key pieces of their bullpen in Treinen, Phillips and Brusdar Graterol. The Red Sox have yet to use Hicks (who was hurt when they acquired him in the Devers trade), and they've been without key late-inning arms Liam Hendriks and Justin Slaten since the end of May. Martinez was among the most recent high-leverage relievers to go down (part of a recent flurry of injuries for a Diamondbacks team already without lefty A.J. Puk, who is out for the season). 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