Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul to host a week of events leading up to Major League Soccer’s midsummer soccer showcase
Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul to host a week of events leading up to Major League Soccer’s midsummer soccer showcase
NEW YORK (October 5, 2021) – Major League Soccer today announced that the Twin Cities will host the 2022 MLS All-Star Game presented by Target on Aug. 10 at Allianz Field, home of Minnesota United FC. The league’s marquee summer event returns for its 26th edition and will be broadcast on the networks of ESPN and Univision in the U.S., and TSN and TVA Sports in Canada.
The 2022 MLS All-Star Game presented by Target will be the culmination of a week-long series of events across Minneapolis and Saint Paul, including community initiatives, concerts, parties, the MLS All-Star Skills Challenge presented by AT&T 5G and more.
“We are proud to bring the 2022 MLS All-Star Game presented by Target to Minnesota,” said MLS Commissioner Don Garber. “Since the club began play in the league in 2017, Minnesota United and their incredible fan base have played a key role in the continued rise of MLS and growth of our sport throughout the U.S. As the eyes of the soccer world turn to Allianz Field next August 10, the people of Minnesota will be fantastic hosts and the supporters and ‘Wonderwall’ will create a memorable atmosphere for our marquee summer event.”
The match will be hosted at the iconic, state-of-the-art Allianz Field in Saint Paul. The 19,600-seat soccer-specific stadium opened its doors in 2019 to international acclaim. The stadium has a natural grass pitch and was designed with the fan in mind. Features include a 360-degree overhanging roof structure, every seat is within 125 feet of the pitch, and the building includes a safe-standing, pyramid-shaped supporters' section for nearly 3,000 fans. The exterior of the building is made of a unique PTFE material with programmable lighting that allows endless color variations to enhance the stadium experience.
The uniqueness of the stadium and the associated experience for both players, clubs and fans has resulted in Allianz Field becoming a highly sought-after venue for international events, hosting a pair of Concacaf Gold Cup group stage matches in 2019 and an international friendly for the U.S. Women’s National Team later that year. Allianz Field will host an additional friendly between the U.S. Women’s National Team and South Korea later this fall.
“We are all extremely excited and honored to see the premier event for soccer in North America coming to the Twin Cities and our state,” said Bill McGuire, the managing partner for Minnesota United FC. “Led by Target and supported by other great Minnesota businesses and our unparalleled fans, this will be an extraordinary event built around a week of wonderful activities for everyone. Soccer is indeed the world’s game, and we look forward to sharing with everyone all that it represents and what makes Allianz Field and the Twin Cities such a great place to experience all that it offers."
The opponent for Major League Soccer’s showcase event will be announced at a later date.
The match will be the first MLS All-Star Game to be held in the Twin Cities and just the eighth All-Star game to be hosted in Minnesota across the six major men’s and women’s professional sports leagues (MLB: 1965, 1985, 2014; NBA: 1994; NHL: 1972, 2004; WNBA: 2018).
The MLS All-Stars will be led by Minnesota United FC head coach Adrian Heath. The English-born head coach has been coaching in the United States for over a decade and has led the Loons since their arrival in MLS in 2017. Heath has guided MNUFC to the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs in each of the last two seasons, including a narrow defeat in the 2020 Western Conference Final, and a U.S. Open Cup final in 2019.
Headquartered in Minneapolis-Saint Paul, Target will once again be the presenting sponsor for Major League Soccer’s midsummer showcase event. The company has partnered with MLS since 2017 to bring the joy of soccer to guests across the U.S., and similar to past years, its involvement in the 2022 All-Star Game includes providing community-focused programming throughout the celebration.
“Target is honored to join MLS in hosting the 2022 All-Star Game in our hometown of Minneapolis-Saint Paul,” said Maurice Cooper, senior vice president, marketing, Target. “Our partnership with MLS brings what we value most – like inclusivity and connection – to life, deepening our involvement in communities and helping us create lasting, meaningful impact for soccer-loving team members and guests of all ages.”
All Minnesota United season ticket owners will receive priority pre-sale access for the MLS All-Star Game presented by Target. Fans may sign up HERE for additional ticketing information, which will be released to the public in 2022.
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)
1999: West 6, East 4 (San Diego)
2000: East 9, West 4 (Columbus)
2001: East 6, West 6 (San Jose)
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)
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)
2009: MLS 1, Everton FC 1 (Everton 4-3 pen) (Sandy, Utah)
2010: Manchester United FC 5, MLS 2 (Houston)
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)
2014: MLS 2, Bayern Munich 1 (Portland)
2015: MLS 2, Tottenham Hotspur 1 (Commerce City, Colo.)
2016: Arsenal 2, MLS 1 (San Jose)
2017: Real Madrid 1, MLS 1 (Real Madrid 4-2 pen) (Chicago)
2018: Juventus 1, MLS 1 (Juventus 5-4 pen) (Atlanta)
2019: Atlético de Madrid 3, MLS 0 (Orlando)
2021: MLS All-Stars 1, LIGA MX All-Stars 1 (MLS All-Stars 3-2 pen) (Los Angeles)
