NEW YORK (February 11, 2016) – Major League Soccer today announced that Arsenal FC will play the best of Major League Soccer in the 2016 AT&T MLS All-Star Game at Avaya Stadium in San Jose on Thursday, July 28 at 9 p.m. ET. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN and UniMás in the United States, TSN and RDS in Canada, and in more than 140 countries around the world, including Sky Sports in the United Kingdom.
“We are pleased to welcome Arsenal, one of the most successful clubs in the world, to compete against the best of MLS,” said MLS Commissioner Don Garber. “Our AT&T MLS All-Star Week has become a celebration for the North American soccer community, highlighted by two teams showcasing many of the world’s top players. We look forward to a world-class event on July 28 at our newest state-of-the-art venue, Avaya Stadium.”
For the 13th time in the event’s 21-year history, an international club will take on the MLS All-Stars, who have an 8-3-1 record in one of the most exciting annual soccer events in North America. In addition to recognizing the best players in MLS, the game has featured some of the best and most famous clubs in the world, including Manchester United (2010 and 2011), Everton FC (2009), Chelsea FC (2006 and 2012), AS Roma (2013), Bayern Munich (2014) and most recently, Arsenal FC’s London rival, Tottenham Hotspur (2015).
Arsenal FC, currently tied for second place in the Barclays Premier League, are managed by the legendary Arsène Wenger, with the current squad featuring global stars like Mesut Özil, Theo Walcott, Alexis Sanchez, Aaron Ramsey and Petr Čech. Through Wenger’s leadership, Arsenal FC have built a renowned reputation of playing some of the most attractive and exciting soccer in the world.
Arsenal will go on to play Chivas de Guadalajara at StubHub Center in Carson, Calif. on July 31.
“Pre-season is a critically important time for us and we are delighted to be coming to San Jose and Los Angeles to participate in the 2016 MLS All-Star Game and to play Chivas,” said Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger. “We have tremendous support across America and enjoyed our visit to New York in the summer of 2014 when we played the New York Red Bulls at Red Bull Arena. We are all looking forward to this summer’s trip as we prepare for our 2016-2017 season.”
San Jose becomes the fifth city to host the MLS All-Star Game for a second time. The 2001 MLS All-Star Game was held at Spartan Stadium in San Jose on July 28, 2001, exactly 15 years to the day that this year’s match takes place at Avaya Stadium. The San Jose Earthquakes’ new venue, which opened in 2015, is the first cloud-enabled stadium in MLS and features European-inspired architecture with a canopy roof, the steepest-raked seating in the league and the largest outdoor bar in North America. The Earthquakes sold out all 15 regular season matches at Avaya Stadium during its inaugural season in 2015 and finished with the seventh highest average attendance in Major League Soccer.
“We were already thrilled to be hosting the MLS All-Star Game this summer and welcoming in a club with the prestige and reputation of Arsenal will make the event even more exciting,” said San Jose Earthquakes president Dave Kaval. “The celebration will have multiple days of events leading up to game day and will provide an outstanding fan experience for the San Jose community. It is also the perfect opportunity for us to showcase Avaya Stadium to the world.”
“We’re excited to welcome Arsenal to the Bay Area for one of our favorite annual sporting events, the AT&T MLS All-Star Game,” said Marc Blakeman, vice president, external affairs, AT&T. “San Jose’s fans are some of the most passionate in Major League Soccer, and we can’t wait to connect them to a thrilling and fun week of action in their beautiful, new stadium this summer.”
The opportunity to purchase tickets to the 2016 AT&T MLS All-Star Game will be made available through a lottery system. To register for the lottery and the opportunity to purchase tickets, please CLICK HERE. San Jose Earthquakes season ticket holders will receive an exclusive pre-sale opportunity and will not need to register for the lottery.
For more information on the 2016 AT&T MLS All-Star Game, please visit MLSsoccer.com or SJEarthquakes.com. Event-specific credentials will be required for media planning to cover this event. Media credential application information for the 2016 All-Star Game will be distributed at a later date.
