Major League Soccer (MLS) has awarded its 2022 All-Star Game to Minnesota United and its Allianz Field stadium.
The 26th edition of the League’s showpiece summer event will take place on August 10, with the opponent for the MLS All-Star team to be determined at a later date. The 2022 All-Star Game will be the culmination of a week-long series of events across Minneapolis and Saint Paul, including community initiatives, concerts, parties and the All-Star Skills Challenge.
The 19,600-seat Allianz Field opened its doors in 2019 to international acclaim. Features include a 360-degree overhanging roof structure and a natural grass pitch, while 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 nicknamed the ‘Wonderwall’.
The exterior of the building is made of PTFE material with programmable lighting that allows endless colour variations to enhance the stadium experience.
Allianz Field has become a sought-after venue for international events, hosting a pair of Gold Cup group stage matches in 2019 and an international friendly for the U.S. Women’s National Team (UWNT) later that year. Allianz Field will host an additional friendly between the USWNT and South Korea later this year.
MLS commissioner Don Garber said: “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 US.
“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.”
Bill McGuire, the managing partner for Minnesota United FC, added: “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 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).
This season’s MLS All-Star Game was hosted at Banc of California Stadium by LAFC, with the MLS team defeating a Liga MX side on penalties after a 1-1 draw in regulation time.
Image: Andy Witchger/CC BY 2.0/Edited for size
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