Major League Soccer today announced that Juventus, the legendary club that has been champions of Italy’s Serie A for the last six seasons and UEFA Champions League finalists in 2015 and 2017, will face the best in MLS in the 2018 MLS All-Star Game presented by Target.
The match at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Aug. 1 at 6:30 p.m. CT will be televised domestically on ESPN and UniMás, as well as in more than 170 countries around the world.
“We welcome Juventus -- one of the world’s iconic clubs -- as our opponent for the 2018 MLS All-Star Game presented by Target,” said Commissioner Don Garber. "Our midseason showcase annually attracts the most prominent clubs in global soccer, and this year our All-Stars will face one of the sport’s most historically successful teams.”
Established in 1897, Juventus is the most decorated club in Italy and one of those most revered in global soccer. Juventus has won more Serie A and Coppa Italia titles than any other Italian club. Led by coach Massimiliano Allegri, Juventus currently sits first in the Serie A table. Among its star players are Paulo Dybala, one of the most thrilling young forwards in Europe; Gonzalo Higuaín, the talented attacking forward and brother of MLS star Federico Higuaín of Columbus Crew SC; Gianluigi Buffon, one of the greatest goalkeepers of this generation; playmaking midfielder Miralem Pjanic, who leads the club in assists this season; and defender Giorgio Chiellini, a highly-respected leader of the club since 2005.
“We are happy to represent European football in this year’s MLS All-Star Game,” said Juventus President Andrea Agnelli. “It’s an opportunity to get closer to the passionate American soccer fans. For many years, Juventus has considered the United States and Canada as a crucial market for growing our presence as shown by the opening of our new academies and our digital strategy that has greatly expanded the possibility to connect with fans on this continent. The first team and the game, however, will be the main show that Juventus offers and we are proud to be in Atlanta.”
“It will be a pleasure for us to play in this game and feel the energy of MLS, an ever-growing league attracting more and more passionate fans,” said Juventus Manager Massimiliano Allegri. “It will also be a great chance for the many Juventus supporters in North America to see their team and favorite players.”
With this announcement, Juventus becomes just the second team from Italy's Serie A to appear in the MLS All-Star Game, after AS Roma played in the 2013 event in Kansas City. The MLS All-Stars have also faced top clubs from the English Premier League, Spain’s La Liga, Germany's Bundesliga, Mexico's Liga MX and the Scottish Premier League, owning an 8-4-2 record against some of the world’s most decorated clubs.
In addition to the match with Juventus at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, MLS will host a week of events in Atlanta surrounding the game, including concerts, community service initiatives, player appearances, as well as an additional showcase match featuring the best young players from across the league.
HISTORY OF MLS ALL-STAR GAMES
1996: East 3, West 2 (E. Rutherford, N.J.)
1997: East 5, West 4 (E. Rutherford, N.J.)
1998: MLS USA 6, MLS World 1 (Orlando, Fla.)
1999: West 6, East 4 (San Diego, Calif.)
2000: East 9, West 4 (Columbus, Ohio)
2001: East 6, West 6 (San Jose, Calif.)
2002: MLS 3, U.S. National Team 2 (Washington, D.C.)
2003: MLS 3, CD Guadalajara 1 (Carson, Calif.)
2004: East 3, West 2 (Washington, D.C.)
2005: MLS 4, Fulham FC 1 (Columbus, Ohio)
2006: MLS 1, Chelsea FC 0 (Bridgeview, Ill.)
2007: MLS 2, Celtic FC 0 (Commerce City, Colo.)
2008: MLS 3, West Ham United FC 2 (Toronto, Ont., Canada)
2009: MLS 1, Everton FC 1 (Everton 4-3 pen) (Sandy, Utah)
2010: Manchester United FC 5, MLS 2 (Houston, Texas)
2011: Manchester United FC 4, MLS 0 (Harrison, N.J.)
2012: MLS 3, Chelsea FC 2 (Chester, Pa.)
2013: AS Roma 3, MLS 1 (Kansas City, Kan.)
2014: MLS 2, Bayern Munich 1 (Portland, Ore.)
2015: MLS 2, Tottenham Hotspur 1 (Commerce City, Colo.)
2016: Arsenal 2, MLS 1 (San Jose, Calif.)
2017: MLS 1, Real Madrid 1 (Real Madrid 4-2 pen) (Chicago, Ill.)
