Does the MLS All-Star Game Matter Without Messi?

Does the MLS All-Star Game still matter without Lionel Messi?Just ten days after the 2026 FIFA World Cup final, MLS is attempting to bring America’s attention back to domestic soccer with the 2026 MLS All-Star Game between MLS and Liga MX in Charlotte.But after 39 days of World Cup football, are American viewers ready for more?In this episode of Finance of Football, Michael and Asli examine the business behind the MLS All-Star Game, why Lionel Messi has still never played in the event and whether a match without real competitive consequences can attract anything beyond existing MLS supporters.All-Star games are a uniquely American sporting tradition, but leagues across the United States have struggled to make them feel meaningful.Major League Baseball once gave the winning league home field advantage in the World Series. The NFL transformed the Pro Bowl into flag football and skills competitions. The NHL found success by introducing international rivalry through the 4 Nations Face-Off.MLS has tried several different formats.The league has staged East versus West matches, invited major European clubs and more recently created an MLS versus Liga MX rivalry. It has also introduced skills competitions, creator involvement and events designed to appeal to younger audiences.But does any of it matter when the league’s biggest stars do not want to participate?Michael and Asli discuss:Why Lionel Messi has never played in an MLS All-Star GameWhether MLS versus Liga MX creates a genuine rivalryWhy All-Star events are valuable to sponsors, broadcasters and club ownersHow MLS could persuade its biggest players to participateWhether prize money would make the game more competitiveWhy the NWSL may be better positioned to benefit from the World CupHow MLS, NWSL and USL are trying to convert casual viewers into domestic soccer fansThe 2026 World Cup brought millions of Americans into football.The challenge now is keeping them.Can MLS turn World Cup viewers into weekly supporters?Can the NWSL use its international stars to attract a new audience?And is the MLS All-Star Game really the right event to lead American soccer into its next era?Listen now to Finance of Football.---For more, follow Asli and Michael on InstagramAsli - @brefootcontessaMichael - @michale.loreAnd follow the show…On Instagram - @financeoffootballpodOn Facebook - /financeoffootball---Finance of Football - Nations and Numbers, a Frequency Machine Podcast, is…Written, Hosted, and Produced by Asli Pelit and Michael LoRéEditing and Sound Design by Ryan HammondMixing and Mastering by Julian KwasneskiExecutive Produced by Ryan Hammond,  Stacey Book and Avi Glijansky---Check out more of Frequency Machine’s podcasts - including Undercover Sports, a show about the wildest sports conspiracy theories, at frequencymachine.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.