Major League Soccer announced on Thursday that Spanish giants Club Atletico de Madrid will face the best in MLS in the 2019 MLS All-Star Game presented by Target, set for Orlando City Stadium on Wednesday, July 31.
“The atmosphere in Orlando will be intense and memorable when Atletico de Madrid take on the MLS All-Stars,” said MLS Commissioner Don Garber in a league release. “Atletico 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.”
Atletico de Madrid
Ten-time champions of La Liga, most recently in 2014, Atletico are one of the most tradition-laden clubs in Europe with a history dating back to 1903. The current squad features stars like Antoine Griezmann, the silver boot winner for 2018 FIFA World Cup champions France and a 2016 finalist for the FIFA Men’s Player of the Year Award, Spanish internationals Alvaro Morata and Diego Costa and Jan Oblak, winner of the last three Zamora trophies, the award for La Liga’s best goalkeeper.
Los Colchoneros ("The Mattress-makers," an old reference to their red-and-white striped kits) are also a consistent contender in European competitions, winning the UEFA Europa League and UEFA Super Cup three times apiece and reaching the UEFA Champions League final in 2014 and 2016.
“Atletico 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 US 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 Atletico de Madrid.”
MLS All-Star Game presented by Target
The 2019 All-Star Game will mark the 16th time that an elite international club has played the MLS All-Stars; Atletico becomes just the second team from La Liga to appear in the event, after crosstown rivals Real Madrid played in the 2017 edition in Chicago. The 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, accruing an 8-4-3 record against some of the world’s most decorated clubs.
All Orlando City SC season-ticket owners receive priority pre-sale access for tickets to the All-Star Game, with pre-sale beginning on Friday, May 3. Tickets go on sale to the general public beginning on May 9 at 10 am ET via Ticketmaster.com. The game will also be televised domestically on FS1 and UniMás in the US, on TSN and TVA Sports in Canada and in more than 170 other countries around the world.
In addition to the match, MLS will host a week of events and programming surrounding the game in Orlando, including a concert, community service initiatives and player appearances, as well as an additional showcase match featuring the best young players from around the league.
