MLS turned the 2026 All-Star Game into a full-on track meet, rallying past the LIGA MX All-Stars, 4-3, on Wednesday, July 29, at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte. The win gave MLS another bragging-rights moment in the North American showcase—and it was anything but routine. )
LIGA MX struck first through Luis Gabriel Rey in the ninth minute, but Son Heung-Min flipped the game in a hurry. The LAFC forward scored twice in a three-minute burst, finding the net in the 20th and 23rd minutes to put MLS in front. Philip Zinckernagel added another before halftime, sending the MLS side into the break with a 3-1 advantage. )
Evander then stretched the lead to 4-1 in the 58th minute, and for a while it looked like MLS might cruise. LIGA MX had other ideas. Salomón Rondón pulled one back in the 55th minute, and José Paradela made the final minutes tense with a stoppage-time goal. The comeback ran out of runway, though, as MLS held on for the one-goal victory. )
- ⚽ Son Heung-Min: two goals
- ⚽ Philip Zinckernagel: one goal
- ⚽ Evander: one goal
- 🔥 MLS: four goals from four different players
The biggest takeaway is simple: even without the original star-studded script, MLS delivered the fireworks. Son supplied the headline moment, while Zinckernagel and Evander gave the league enough punch to survive LIGA MX’s late push.
