MLS names Austin FC's Q2 Stadium as host site for all-star game next summer
A live armadillo made an appearance at Antone’s in downtown Austin on Wednesday.
Its reception from the crowd was worthy of a celebrity or all-star athlete — which was appropriate, considering the occasion.
Though news of it leaked weeks ago, Major League Soccer made it official Wednesday with league commissioner Don Garber announcing in person at the restaurant that the 2025 all-star game will be hosted next summer at Austin FC's Q2 Stadium.
More: 5 takeaways from Austin FC's 2-1 loss to FC Dallas
Austin FC president Andy Loughnane noted the club went through a bidding process similar to how cities bid on the Super Bowl, NCAA Tournament and other major sporting events.
“There’s a competitive process,” Loughnane said. “We put in our bid in terms of all the resources that we would be able to mobilize, and there are things that exist on the state (government) side … that make Texas attractive. Other states and stadiums were interested, so we’re fortunate to have been selected.”
An opponent and date are yet to be determined, but Garber said it will likely be played on a Wednesday in late July 2025. The event is more like an all-star week, with activities — most notably the skills competition — starting Saturday and building up to the game. The MLS board of directors also will hold its quarterly meeting in town during the week.
Though the event is ultimately run by MLS, Garber noted that Austin will have input on associated activities with it throughout the city.
“The community will deliver its own version of the all-star game,” said Garber, who has been the league’s commissioner since 1999. “We’ll look at how can we lean into the food culture, the music culture and some of the club culture.”
Garber pointed to Hollywood having a big influence on the all-star week in Los Angeles and the White House hosting an activity on its lawn when the game was in Washington D.C. as recent examples. This year's all-star game is in Columbus, Ohio.
“Most important, you want to have a legacy project that lives long after the all-star game is gone,” he said. “We’ll work with the club and the sports council to ensure that this will be quintessentially Austin. We will definitely keep it weird.”
Whether that includes more appearances by live armadillos remains to be seen, but more than 14 months from the game, nothing is off the table.
‘We will definitely keep it weird,” Garber said.
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: It's official: MLS All-Star game coming to Austin and Q2 Stadium
