The 2026 MLS All-Star Skills Challenge is on Tuesday, July 28 at 7:30 PM ET at Truist Field in Charlotte, streaming on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV. For the first time it is built as MLS stars against Liga MX stars, across five events, the night before the All-Star Game itself.
The Skills Challenge has always been the lighter half of All-Star week, but the 2026 reset gives it an edge: the same MLS-versus-Liga-MX framing as the main event, and a team relay finale to settle it. Here is how it works and who is taking part.
MLS All-Star Skills Challenge 2026 format
The competition has moved away from the old format where one side simply ran through a set of drills. In 2026 each individual challenge crowns its own champion, before a team relay pulls elements from every event together for an MLS vs Liga MX finish. Five events make up the night.
- Shooting Challenge: players score points by hitting targets inside 60 seconds.
- Goalie Wars: goalkeepers kick, drop-kick and throw to score while defending their own goal.
- Crossbar Challenge: head-to-head strikes at the crossbar from the edge of the box.
- Passing Challenge: a test of distribution accuracy against positioned targets.
- MLS vs Liga MX Relay: the team-based finale, combining elements from all four challenges.
Who is competing?
The MLS side draws from the same All-Star pool. Confirmed names include goalkeepers Matt Freese and Maxime Crépeau, plus Son Heung-min, Thomas Müller, Sebastian Berhalter, Evander, Zavier Gozo, Petar Musa and host-club captain Tim Ream. The Goalie Wars event, in particular, is worth the entry fee with keepers of that level involved. Liga MX names its Skills Challenge participants in the build-up.
How to watch the Skills Challenge
The Skills Challenge streams on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV from 7:30 PM ET on Tuesday, July 28. The full All-Star Game follows the next night; our how to watch guide has the channel and start-time detail for both, and our 2026 MLS All-Star Game preview covers the main event.
MLS All-Star Skills Challenge FAQs
When is the 2026 MLS All-Star Skills Challenge?
Tuesday, July 28, 2026 at 7:30 PM ET, at Truist Field in Charlotte.
How can I watch the Skills Challenge?
It streams on MLS Season Pass through the Apple TV app.
What is different about the 2026 format?
Each challenge now crowns its own champion, and the night ends with an MLS vs Liga MX team relay rather than a single running score.