Atlético’s Felix, Herrera to highlight All-Star Game
Atlético Madrid coach Diego Simeone announced the 26-player roster that will travel to Orlando for the MLS All-Star Game July 31. The roster includes several of the team’s most recent signings, including 19-year-old star João Felix and Mexican international star Héctor Herrera.
After debuting for Portuguese club Benfica’s reserve team as a 16-year-old, Felix exploded onto the scene in his first season with Primeira Liga last year, scoring 15 goals in 26 appearances for the club. He signed a seven-year contract earlier this month to join Atlético Madrid for a £113 million transfer fee (about $141 million), the fourth-highest in the international history of the sport. Herrera was signed on the same day after spending six seasons in the Primeira Liga, tallying 27 goals. The midfielder was part of the Mexican national team that won the 2012 Olympics, along with the 2015 Gold Cup.
Midfielder and team captain Koke will round out the trio, which will represent
the club not only on the pitch but also in the MLS All-Star Skills Challenge. The three players will compete against two other teams — the MLS team featuring Jonathan dos Santos, Carlos Vela and Wayne Rooney, and the Orlando team featuring Nani, Chris Mueller and Sebas Méndez — in a competition of accuracy, creativity and precision.
After the trio competes in the skills competition on Tuesday, Atlético Madrid will face off against the MLS All-Star team highlighted by Zlatan Ibrahimovic on Wednesday, July 31. The team’s roster also includes Spanish nationalteam stars Álvaro Morata and Diego Costa, along with goalkeeper Jan Oblak, who took home four straight Zamora trophies as the best goalkeeper in the Spanish La Liga.
Tickets for the 2019 MLS All-Star Game are available on sale on Ticketmaster, while tickets for the skills challenge are available on the MLS website.