Cristian Espinoza, Carles Gil, Hany Mukhtar, Marco Pašalić, Sam Surridge, and Obed Vargas join the MLS All-Stars as they take on LIGA MX in the MLS All-Star Game on July 23
NEW YORK (Tuesday, July 15, 2025) – Six standout players were added to the 2025 MLS All-Star roster by MLS All-Star head coach Nico Estévez on Tuesday, including Nashville SC midfielder Hany Mukhtar and forward Sam Surridge, New England Revolution midfielder Carles Gil, Orlando City SC forward Marco Pašalić, San Jose Earthquakes midfielder Cristian Espinoza, and Seattle Sounders FC midfielder Obed Vargas. The 2025 MLS All-Star Game will be played on Wednesday, July 23 at 9 p.m. ET (MLS Season Pass on Apple TV), with the MLS All-Stars facing off against the best of LIGA MX.
A model of consistency throughout his MLS career, Gil earns his fourth All-Star nod after leading the New England Revolution with 15 goal contributions in 21 matches this season. The Spaniard has recorded 47 goals and 80 assists in 180 career MLS games and is one of eight active players with at least 125 goal contributions in MLS play, joining fellow All-Star addition Hany Mukhtar (132). The club’s all-time leader in assists (80), Gil earned 2021 Landon Donovan MLS MVP honors after leading the league with 18 assists and has twice been named to the MLS Best XI team.
The 2022 Landon Donovan MLS MVP and Golden Boot presented by Audi winner, Mukhtar has been instrumental in the emergence of Nashville SC this season, powering the club to second place in the Eastern Conference table (41 points, 12-5-5) -- a run that included a team-record 12-game unbeaten streak. Mukhtar (10 goals, eight assists) is one of only four players in MLS this season with at least 10 goals and eight assists, joining fellow All-Stars Evander (13 goals, eight assists) and Anders Dreyer (11 goals, 15 assists) and Orlando City’s Martín Ojeda (10 goals, nine assists). Since arriving in Major League Soccer in 2020, Mukhtar leads all players with 76 goals and 132 goal contributions and has produced at least 18 contributions in each of the last five seasons. This is his fourth consecutive All-Star selection.
Making is second MLS All-Star Game appearance, Espinoza has been the creative engine for the San Jose Earthquakes since joining the club in 2019. Now in his seventh MLS season, the Argentine winger has tallied 11 assists and four goals in 20 matches (19 starts) in 2025 and has recorded at least 11 assists in each of the last four seasons. Signed as a Designated Player in late 2019 after an initial loan from Villarreal, Espinoza has been a mainstay for San Jose, recording 36 goals and 82 assists across 207 regular season appearances. Before arriving in MLS, he played for Boca Juniors following stints in Spain’s La Liga with Villarreal, Alavés, and Real Valladolid.
Pašalić joined Orlando City in February 2025 and has made an immediate impact, starting 22 matches and scoring 10 goals with four assists. Prior to arriving to Orlando, he tallied 44 goals and 28 assists in 206 appearances, featuring in top competitions like the DFL-Supercup and UEFA Conference League. Internationally, the 24-year-old has earned 11 caps for Croatia’s senior national team, scoring once. Orlando (35 points, 9-5-8) sits sixth in the Eastern Conference and ninth in the Supporters’ Shield standings at the All-Star break, aiming for another playoff run following their first-ever Eastern Conference Final appearance in 2024.
Surridge has quickly become one of the league’s top strikers, scoring 16 goals and adding three assists in 22 matches (21 starts) for Nashville SC in 2025. The 25-year-old leads the team in scoring and became the first player in club history to score in six straight matches from May 24 to June 28, recording 10 goals over the span. Signed from Nottingham Forest in 2023, the former Premier League forward has 30 goals in 59 MLS appearances. Surridge’s finishing and consistency have been key to keeping Nashville firmly in the Supporters' Shield heading into the All-Star break.
Vargas is among MLS’s most promising young players and a consistent presence in Seattle’s midfield. The 19-year-old has started every one of his 18 regular season appearances in 2025, contributing one goal and three assists. A regular for the Sounders since 2022, Vargas earned the No. 7 spot on the 2024 MLS 22 Under 22 list after a standout campaign that included two goals and seven assists across all competitions. The Alaska native signed a first-team contract at just 16 and became the third-youngest player in MLS history to appear in a match at the time. Internationally, Vargas made his senior debut for Mexico in 2024 after switching federations from the U.S., and has also featured for Mexico’s U-20 and U-23 national teams. A product of the Sounders academy, Vargas played a key role in the club’s 2022 Concacaf Champions League title run and continues to develop into one of the most composed young midfielders in the league.
The MLS All-Star Game and MLS All-Star Skills Challenge presented by AT&T, both held at Q2 Stadium, will be broadcast in over 100 countries and regions in English, Spanish, and French on MLS Season Pass on the Apple TV app. Fans can subscribe to MLS Season Pass now through the Apple TV app on Apple devices, smart TVs, streaming devices, set-top boxes, game consoles, and the web at tv.apple.com.
