|
NEW YORK (Thursday, July 3, 2025) – Major League Soccer today announced the four finalists for the 2025 MLS All-Star Captain Fan Vote: Denis Bouanga of the Los Angeles Football Club, Evander of FC Cincinnati, Lionel Messi of Inter Miami CF, and Brandon Vazquez of Austin FC. One the four finalists will be named captain of the 2025 MLS All-Star team ahead of the 2025 MLS All-Star Game at Austin FC’s Q2 Stadium on Wednesday, July 23.
The MLS All-Star Captain Fan Vote opens at 9 a.m. ET today, July 3, and will remain open through 11:59 p.m. ET on Friday, July 11. Fans can participate in the MLS All-Star Captain Fan Vote at MLSsoccer.com/vote and on the MLS App and every fan can share their selection on social media. Fans are eligible to vote 10 times per day through the duration of the voting period.
One of the league’s most dynamic offensive threats, Evander looks to continue a strong history of FC Cincinnati captainship at the All-Star Game, as former Cincinnati standout Luciano Acosta was voted the captain of both the 2023 and 2024 MLS All-Star Games. Among the other captain contenders is reigning Landon Donovan MLS MVP and 2022 FIFA World Cup champion Lionel Messi, three-time MLS All-Star and the 2023 league-leading scorer Denis Bouanga, and striker Brandon Vazquez of the All-Star host club, Austin FC.
The selected captain will wear a custom armband designed by local Austin artist, Bobby Dixon, a frequent Austin FC collaborator. In partnership with MLS and Captain Morgan, Bobby took inspiration from their respective brand worlds and weaved in iconography unique to the city to create a one-of-a-kind design. The armband highlights the importance of encouraging fans to own their own spice and unleash memorable moments for everyone.
First introduced to the All-Star voting process in 2023, fans had the opportunity to nominate a potential captain from their 11 player selections for the 2025 MLS All-Star team. The four All-Star selections who received the most captain nominations from the fan vote are placed on a ballot for fans to choose their MLS All-Star captain.
The MLS All-Star Game and MLS All-Star Skills Challenge presented by AT&T will be available to watch in more than 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.
All stats and figures as of July 2, 2025
Denis Bouanga | Forward | LAFC | Country of Birth: France | Born: Nov. 11, 1994 | Third
Selection | Voted In
• Bouanga earns his third-straight All-Star selection in the midst of another stellar
campaign with LAFC. The winger has been named an All-Star in each of his three full
seasons with the club. This year, his 13 goal contributions lead the Black and Gold and
are tied 11th eighth in the league. LAFC is in the midst of the Audi MLS Cup Playoff race
and Bouanga has logged a goal contribution in eight of the last 10 games.
• The Gabonese winger has etched his name in club history, ranking second all-time in
goal contributions for LAFC with 49 goals and 23 assists. He also played a starring role
for the club in international competition, sending LAFC to the expanded 2025 FIFA Club
World Cup with a dramatic game-winner in extra time during the one-game playoff vs.
Mexican giant Club América on May 31. Bouanga won the Golden Boot at the 2023
Concacaf Champions Cup, scoring seven times during LAFC’s run to the final.
• Acquired by LAFC in August 2022, the winger helped lead the club to the 2022
Supporters’ Shield and MLS Cup titles. He followed that debut campaign with an even
stronger 2023, winning the MLS Golden Boot presented by Audi and bringing LAFC back
to MLS Cup. Named to the Best XI in 2023 and 2024, LAFC also won the Lamar Hunt
U.S. Open Cup and finished runner-up at Leagues Cup in 2024.
Evander | Attacking Midfielder | FC Cincinnati | Country of Birth: Brazil | Born: June 9,
1998 | Second Selection | Voted In
• Evander earns back-to-back All-Star nods with different clubs as he’s hit the ground
running after an offseason trade to FC Cincinnati. The club is in the hunt for the
Supporters’ Shield with 39 points (12-5-3) as his 18 goal contributions (11 goals, seven
assists) lead the team and rank third in the league. Last season, Evander also led the
Timbers in goal contributions with 15 goals and 19 assists.
• The 27-year-old midfielder made his Concacaf Champions Cup debut this season,
adding two goals and one assist before FC Cincinnati fell in the Round of 16 to Liga
MX’s Tigres UANL.
• It's Evander’s third season in MLS after a stellar five years at Denmark’s FC Midtjylland,
netting 50 goals and adding 38 assists in 167 appearances across all competitions. The
Brazilian midfielder featured in both the UEFA Champions League and Europa League
with the club, making 27 appearances while scoring five goals and contributing seven
assists.
Lionel Messi | Forward | Inter Miami CF | Country of Birth: Argentina | Born: June 24, 1987
| Second Selection | Voted In
• The reigning Landon Donovan MLS is putting together another stellar campaign in 2025,
ranking second in the league with 16 goal contributions (10 goals, six assists). After
leading Inter Miami CF to the Supporters’ Shield in 2024, his first full season with the
club, the Herons are right back in the race at the top of the table with 29 points (8-3-5).
• Messi caught fire at the end of May, adding five goals and four assists during Miami’s
last three games before the FIFA Club World Cup. He became the second player in
league history to record multiple games with at least five goal contributions when he
scored twice and added three assists against the Columbus Crew on May 31. He’s also
the first player in Inter Miami history to reach 50 goal contributions, doing so across just
37 regular season games in South Florida.
• Widely considered one of the greatest players of all time, Messi joined Inter Miami CF in
summer 2023 and won the inaugural Leagues Cup with the Herons. Over the course of
his career, Messi has won eight Ballon d’Or awards, three Best FIFA Men’s Player
honors, two FIFA World Cup Golden Balls and three UEFA Men’s Player of the Year
awards. He’s also led teams to four UEFA Champions League titles and guided
Argentina to the 2022 FIFA World Cup and the 2021 Copa América.
Brandon Vazquez | Forward | Austin FC | Country of Birth: United States | Born: Oct. 14,
1998 | Second Selection | Coach’s Selection
• Returning to MLS this season after one year in Mexico’s LIGA MX, Vazquez earns his
second All-Star selection and first with Austin FC. The striker’s five goals in 19 starts
lead the Verde and Black as the club is in the middle of the Western Conference playoff
picture. Three of Vazquez’s tallies have been game-winning goals, including a late
difference-maker in a 1-0 win vs. LA Galaxy on April 19.
• Just 26 years old, it’s already Vazquez’s eighth MLS season. Previously a standout with
FC Cincinnati, Vazquez earned his first All-Star nod in 2022 as well as MLS Best XI
honors during a breakout season in Ohio. His 18 goals were tied for fourth in the league
and also tied for the top American scorer of the season. In 2023, he helped Cincy take
home its first hardware as the club lifted the Supporters’ Shield.
• The striker has also made 11 appearances for the U.S. Men’s National Team, scoring
four goals. He played a key role in the team’s semifinal run at the 2023 Concacaf Gold
Cup, netting a late equalizer against Jamaica.
2 / 2
125%
|
