New York City FC today announced that Goalkeeper Matt Freese has been named to the 2026 MLS All-Star Game.
The 2026 MLS All-Star Game will take place on Wednesday, July 29 at 8pm ET at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, NC. The match will feature MLS All-Stars against All-Stars from Mexico’s LIGA MX, marking the third consecutive meeting and fifth overall matchup between the two Leagues to be broadcast on Apple TV.
Freese joined New York City FC in 2023 and has made 110 appearances across all competitions. Across the MLS Regular Season and Playoffs, the Goalkeeper has recorded 323 saves and 25 clean sheets. The Philadelphianative reached the Century Club milestone in 2026, marking the Goalkeeper’s 100th appearance across all competitions for the ‘Boys in Blue.’
Freese has featured in nine MLS Cup Playoff matches for New York City FC and played an important role in the Club’s 2024 MLS Playoff run, making 14 saves and recording one clean sheet. In the third match of the Round One Best-of-3 series against FC Cincinnati, Freese made three saves in the penalty shootout, helping the Club secure the win and advance to the Easten Conference Semifinals. During the 2025 MLS season, Freese anchored the team throughout the Club’s playoff run, recording 13 saves and three clean sheets, helping New York City FC reach the Eastern Conference Finals for the third time in Club history.
At the international level, the Pennsylvania native has made 19 appearances and recorded five clean sheets for the U.S. Men’s National Team (USMNT), including starts at both the FIFA World Cup 2026 and the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup. During the USMNT’s FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign, Freese started four matches and recorded two clean sheets, helping the U.S. secure wins over Paraguay, Australia, and Bosnia. During the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup, the Goalkeeper started every match for the National Team, recording one clean sheet and making three saves in the team’s penalty shootout win against Costa Rica to help secure a place in the Semifinals of the competition.
This marks the Goalkeeper’s first-ever MLS All-Star roster selection, becoming the 12th New York City FC player to be selected to the competition, joining Forward David Villa (2015, 2016, 2017, 2018), Midfielder Frank Lampard (2015), Midfielder Andrea Pirlo (2016), Goalkeeper Josh Saunders (2016), Midfielder Alex Ring (2018), Midfielder Maxi Moralez (2019), Midfielder James Sands (2021), Goalkeeper Sean Johnson (2022), Forward Valentín Castellanos (2022), Defender Alexander Callens (2022), and Defender Thiago Martins (2024).
