Spend enough time diving into the history of American professional soccer and MLS, and it won’t be too long until you stumble upon one of the greatest inventions in the game—Goalie Wars.
Now in its 30th season, and among the world’s best soccer leagues, MLS did not always play with the same rules as the rest of the world. In the past, it had running shootouts from midfield, and even buzzers to end games instead of stoppage time.
However, goalie wars became a defining feature of early MLS All-Star Weekends, as two goalkeepers would go head-to-head in the central event of the All-Star Skills Competition. After fading into history, the event returned to the weekend in 2023 and is back for 2025.
While MLS and Liga MX will battle with All-Star teams in the MLS All-Star Game in Austin, Texas, on July 23, the leagues’ top players will also go head-to-head in a skills competition on July 22.
However, goalie wars will only include select goalkeepers from MLS Next Pro, the second tier of the MLS professional pyramid, primarily for up-and-coming players signed through the academy. Still, the game provides immense entertainment.
