The 2023 Major League Soccer All-Star Game was the 27th annual Major League Soccer All-Star Game, an exhibition soccer match in the United States. The game, featuring an all-star team from Major League Soccer (MLS) and Premier League club Arsenal, was played on July 19, 2023, at Audi Field in Washington, D.C. The all-star game also included a skills challenge, concerts, and other events in the days before the match.

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2023 MLS All-Star Game

MLS All-Star players defending an Arsenal corner
Event	2023 Major League Soccer season
MLS All-Stars Arsenal 0 5
Date	July 19, 2023 (2023-07-19)
Venue	Audi Field, Washington, D.C.
Most Valuable Player	Bukayo Saka (Arsenal)
Referee	Ted Unkel (United States)
Attendance	20,621
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The 2023 edition marked a return to the former All-Star Game format that pitted the MLS All-Stars against a European club on their preseason tour; the 2021 and 2022 editions had been played against the Liga MX All-Stars. Arsenal won 5–0 and set a new record for largest margin of victory in the MLS All-Star Game.^[1]

On June 23, 2022, MLS announced that the 2023 All-Star Game would be played at Audi Field in Washington, D.C. It is the first All-Star Game to be played at the 20,000-seat venue, the home of D.C. United since 2018, and the third in Washington, D.C. after two editions were played at RFK Memorial Stadium.^[2] While the MLS All-Stars played the Liga MX All-Stars for the 2021 and 2022 editions of the match, the league chose to return to their former format—playing against a European club in their preseason. English club Arsenal were announced as the opponents for 2023; it was their second time playing the MLS All-Stars, following their 2–1 win in the 2016 edition.^[3]

The MLS All-Star Skills Challenge took place on July 18, 2023, at Audi Field. The event featured players from both the MLS All-Star Game and Arsenal who participated in five competitions: a shooting challenge; a touch challenge; a cross and volley challenge; a passing challenge; and a crossbar challenge.^[10] Arsenal won the Skills Challenge 4–1 with the winning crossbar challenge shot scored from 40 yards (37 m) by American defender Auston Trusty, a former MLS player.^[11][12] "Goalie Wars", a scoring challenge between two goalkeepers, returned with four MLS Next Pro players; Isaac Walker of Crown Legacy FC won against Damian Las from Austin FC II in the final.^[13]

The MLS Next All-Star Game, an exhibition game for MLS Next academy and youth players, was played on July 19 at the Glenn Warner Soccer Facility on the grounds of the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. The West team won 5–4 in a penalty shootout against the East following a 2–2 draw.^[14] The same venue also hosted a Special Olympics exhibition game between all-star teams.^[15] Additional events in the Washington, D.C. area during the All-Star Week included festivals and an MLS All-Star Concert with Kehlani.^[16]

The All-Star Game and Skills Challenge were broadcast globally in English, French, and Spanish on MLS Season Pass, an online streaming platform operated by Apple TV with rights to all MLS matches.^[4][17] The All-Star Game and Skills Challenge were broadcast for free with an account, rather than requiring a paid subscription.^[18] For the events, more than 25 fixed cameras were installed around Audi Field and several players wore body cameras for use in replays. The English broadcast comprised Jake Zivin as play-by-play commentator with Taylor Twellman and Kaylyn Kyle as analysts.^[17]

Arsenal's Bukayo Saka was named the match's most valuable player.^[21]

MLS All-Stars manager Wayne Rooney criticized the lack of preparation time prior to the match, adding that they "literally had no time whatsoever to do any tactics". The team had also trained in public at the National Mall over his objections. In a post-game press conference, Rooney said that he learned "absolutely nothing" from the match as a coach and also criticized referee Ted Unkel, who had shown six yellow cards—a record for an MLS All-Star Game.^[22][23] He also stated that several members of his technical staff recording the match for technical analysis were ejected from their seats by Apple TV staff; the league office denied that any Apple staff had moved into the technical area.^[23]