MLS All-Stars vs Liga MX predictions turn the spotlight on North American football’s showpiece exhibition. The best of Major League Soccer take on a Liga MX All-Star side on Wednesday 29th July at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte. Kick-off is scheduled for 1am (UK time).
This is the fifth meeting between the two leagues in the All-Star format, and MLS lead the series three wins to one. They won last year’s edition 3-1 in Austin, though Liga MX still hold the heaviest result, a 4-1 win in Columbus in 2024. Lionel Messi headlines the absentees, excused along with Inter Miami teammate Rodrigo De Paul on mandatory post-World Cup rest. Even without him, the hosts field a 29-man squad packed with recognisable names.
MLS All-Stars vs Liga MX predictions & betting tips
| Our Prediction | Odds & Bookmaker | Confidence | Why We’re Backing It |
|---|---|---|---|
| MLS All-Stars to win | 23/20 @ Betway (46.5%) | ⭐⭐⭐ | MLS have owned this fixture of late, winning three of the four previous meetings and last year’s edition 3-1. They also hold two clear advantages on the night. The game is on home soil in Charlotte, and they field a deeper, 29-man squad against a Liga MX group still building towards their new Apertura season. All-Star games reward the side with more attacking talent to rotate through, and the hosts have it. Son Heung-min alone arrives with a joint-league-best 10 assists this season. With home advantage and the better recent record, MLS look the sensible starting point. |
| Son Heung-min to score anytime | 6/5 @ Betway (45.5%) | ⭐⭐ | With Messi excused, Son is the biggest attacking name on show, and All-Star games are made for players like him. The LAFC forward has three goals and a joint-MLS-best 10 assists in his first full season since a record move from Tottenham Hotspur. Exhibition defences rotate heavily and press with far less intensity, which suits a forward whose game is built on space and timing. He will want a moment on this stage. If he starts, and the coaches confirm lineups only on the night, his quality in the final third makes him a strong candidate to find the net. |
Odds correct at time of writing. Please gamble responsibly.
How both teams head into MLS All-Stars vs Liga MX
MLS All-Stars
The MLS side is chosen rather than in form, so the usual league metrics do not apply. Charlotte FC head coach Dean Smith selected a 29-man squad drawn from 21 clubs, with fans voting in 11 players, Smith adding 12 and MLS commissioner Don Garber making two picks.
The headline names carry real pedigree. Son Heung-min leads the way after his record move to LAFC, with Thomas Muller, the Germany and Bayern Munich great now at Vancouver Whitecaps, adding further star quality. Nashville SC provide the most representatives of any single club with four.
Thirteen of the original selections featured at the 2026 World Cup, underlining the quality on show. The squad did change late, though. Beyond Messi and De Paul, Hugo Cuypers left MLS for Monterrey, and Mbekezeli Mbokazi is injured.
Liga MX All-Stars
Liga MX arrive under coach Antonio Mohamed, the reigning Liga MX Coach of the Year, and named a 24-man squad selected through the Balon de Oro awards process.
There is genuine quality across the group. Former Real Madrid goalkeeper Keylor Navas is among the selections, as is the Liga MX Golden Boot winner Joao Pedro. Juan Brunetta, the Tigres playmaker who was named MVP of the 4-1 win over MLS in 2024, returns as the visitors’ creative reference.
Several of the squad represented Mexico at the 2026 World Cup, including Jesus Gallardo and Erik Lira. The timing works slightly in their favour in one sense: Liga MX teams are deep in pre-season preparation for the new campaign, so match sharpness may be further along than a mid-summer exhibition usually allows.
MLS All-Stars team news
All-Star selection is not a starting XI. Coaches share minutes across the full squad and confirm their lineups only on the night, so every name should be treated as a participant rather than a guaranteed starter.
With Messi and De Paul excused, Yannick Bright and Andres Cubas were called up as replacements.
Liga MX All-Stars team news
The same applies to the visitors, where Mohamed is expected to rotate heavily through his 24 players.
Navas in goal would be the marquee presence, but exhibition goalkeepers are often swapped at half-time.
Head-to-Head
The All-Star series is young but already spirited. This is the fifth meeting between MLS and Liga MX in this format, and MLS lead it three wins to one. They took the inaugural 2021 edition on penalties, won 2-1 in 2022, and beat Liga MX 3-1 last year in Austin through goals from Sam Surridge, Tai Baribo and Brian White. Liga MX’s one win was emphatic, a 4-1 success in Columbus in 2024 that earned Juan Brunetta the MVP award. That result is the reason this exhibition carries a little more edge than most.
Which side will win the All-Star showdown?
MLS are favourites, and the reasoning is straightforward. They have won three of the four previous meetings, they play at home in Charlotte, and they carry a 29-man squad against a 24-man Liga MX group. The market reflects that edge without making the hosts prohibitive, as befits an exhibition where anything can happen.
Our headline bet is the MLS All-Stars to win. Home advantage, the deeper squad and the superior recent record all point the same way, even without Messi.
For the second selection, Son Heung-min to score anytime is the value angle. He is the biggest attacking name available, All-Star defences offer forwards room they never get in league football, and he will be desperate to leave a mark on the showpiece. Provided he starts, few players are better equipped to punish a rotating back line.
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