Austin’s Q2 Stadium to Host 2025 MLS All-Star Game

l-r:Austin FC majority owner Anthony Precourt, MLS commissioner Don Garber, and Austin mayor Kirk Watson appear at Antone’s Nightclub Wednesday to announce Austin as the host of the 2025 MLS All-Star Game. (Credit: Austin FC Communications)

Austin FC’s home of Q2 Stadium will host the 2025 Major League Soccer All-Star Game, MLS commissioner Don Garber announced Wednesday afternoon at Antone’s Nightclub.

The event will bring a full week of soccer festivities to the Texas capital, culminating in an exhibition match pitting a full roster of the league’s brightest stars – potentially including the likes of Lionel Messi, Olivier Giroud, and Austin FC’s own Sebastián Driussi – against an opposing team yet to be named.

“We are thrilled to bring the 2025 MLS All-Star Game to Austin,” Garber said. “This club deserves to have our biggest event. The fan support, the community support, the corporate partner support, the commitment of ownership just has over-delivered in so many different ways for our league and for the sport of soccer in America. So what better way to say thank you than to have the MLS All-Star Game [here]?”

In addition to the MLS All-Star Game, the week will also include the MLS All-Star Skills Challenge, the MLS NEXT All-Star Game, and the MLS All-Star Concert, along with several other activations and fan experiences.

An exact date for the event was not announced, though it will likely take place July or August 2025.

Austin FC will host the league’s marquee event in just its fifth year in existence. Since the club’s first match at Q2 Stadium in 2021, Austin FC has officially sold out every match it’s played at home. The ATX fanbase has also drawn praise for creating one of the loudest and most consistent home atmospheres in the league.

“This club represents everything that we dreamed Major League Soccer would be,” Garber said. “Everyone who loves this club and loves the sport of soccer in this city earned the right to have this game.”

Garber would not hint at any candidates for the team that will take on the MLS All-Stars in the game. In the past, the league has welcomed a who’s-who of the biggest clubs in Europe to participate as part of their offseason international tours. However, three of the last four All-Star Games, including the 2024 edition to take place this summer, have pitted the MLS All-Stars against a counterpart squad of Liga MX (Mexico) All-Stars.

There had been speculation that 2017 All-Star Game opponent Real Madrid might be in talks with the league and Austin FC about reprising that role, especially considering Real Madrid President Florentino Pérez recently visited Q2 Stadium in April as a guest of Austin FC. However Garber poured cold water on that theory.

“[Austin FC minority owner] Eddie Margain and Florentino are buddies,” Garber said. “We’re not in any discussions with them about an All-Star opponent but that doesn’t take away the enormous respect we have for Real Madrid and for their president.”