JUVENTUS TO PLAY IN MLS ALL-STAR GAME IN ATLANTA

Juventus will play in Major League Soccer’s All-Star Game in Atlanta on Aug. 1.

Leading the Italian League as it pursues a seventh straight Serie A title, the Bianconeri will be the latest high-profile European club to face MLS’ top players in the annual showcase. Real Madrid won last year’s game in Chicago on penalty kicks. Led by forwards Paulo Dybala and Gonzalo Higuain, Juventus is Italy’s most successful club with 33 league championships.

Juventus is the second Serie A team to play in the All-Star Game, following Roma in 2013. The European opponent has won the past two All-Star games since MLS beat Tottenham in 2015.

Neither Italy nor the United States made the field for this year’s World Cup in Russia, making it more likely that players from those countries will appear in the game.

“It will be a pleasure for us to play in this game and feel the energy of MLS, an ever-growing league attracting more and more passionate fans,” Juve coach Massimiliano Allegri said in a statement. “It will also be a great chance for the many Juventus supporters in North America to see their team and favorite players.”

NYCFC star David Villa, the league’s 2016 MVP, has made the last three AllStar games.

“It’s a great tool for the MLS to get more fans around the world because the All-Star team plays against some of the best teams in the world,” Villa told The Associated Press.

— Associated Press