CHARLOTTE — Major League Soccer hopes American soccer fans shift their attention from the FIFA World Cup to the league’s annual All-Star Game on Wednesday night.

For the fifth time in six years, the MLS All-Stars take on the Liga MX All-Stars, blending a pair of competitive leagues that have grown familiar with one another. Liga MX is Mexico’s highest-level professional league, but the MLS has won three of the first four meetings.

The match will cap several days of festivities that have put a spotlight on the MLS, which is hoping to benefit from the afterglow of the World Cup. MLS is taking a brief pause just a week after resuming its season following the World Cup.

Not all the marquee players will be on hand, but expect spirited play once the match begins.

“There’s going to be a friendly element to it,” said Charlotte FC coach Dean Smith, who’s coaching the MLS All-Stars. “But they’re competitive players. They’re all top players with their clubs, but they want to win. I think when you put competitive players against each other, they always want to win and I’m no different as a coach as well.”

LAFC forward Son Heung-min seems to be enjoying his growing notoriety while in Charlotte.

“Being called up for the All-Star, I think everybody wants to participate in these events,” Son said. “It’s a great experience to be here with great players, great names, and I’m looking forward to it.”

Smith said it will be interesting to see Hany Mukhtar of MLS-best Nashville SC from a different perspective rather than coaching against him.

“You work with the cream of the MLS league,” Smith said. “Some of them (we) played against a lot … and so nice to get really close eyes on them.”

Some top stars, such as Argentine star Lionel Messi, have opted out of the game. It’s the third consecutive MLS All-Star event that Messi has withdrawn from since joining Inter Miami — this time based on World Cup fatigue and the need for recovery.

“Major League Soccer and the MLS Players Association agreed that upon a player’s exit from the World Cup competition, clubs would have individual conversations with each player to determine the appropriate rest and return to training and competition timeline,” an MLS statement said. “Consistent with that agreement, Rodrigo De Paul and Lionel Messi will be excused from participating in the 2026 MLS All-Star Game.”

Neither player has appeared in a match for Inter Miami since the World Cup.

Toluca FC coach Antonio Mohamed, who’s coaching the Liga MX All-Stars, is dealing with a changing roster as well with some players not released to participate.

“We have a great squad,” Mohamed said. “But, of course, we would’ve loved to have everyone here.”

Liga MX will be headlined by Omar Campos, who was a member of 2024 U.S. Open Cup champion LAFC, and Cruz Azul captain and Mexican national team member Erik Lira.

It could be a matter of which side meshes best.

“There’s not going to be loads of tactical training for the players,” Smith said. “We’ll put them into a system, a shape, but there will be some freedom within it.”

That match will be played in Bank of America Stadium, the home of Charlotte FC and the NFL’s Carolina Panthers. The spotlight keeps growing on Charlotte FC since their first season in 2022.

Smith said Charlotte has embraced professional soccer and this provides another chance to put that on display. The timing might be right.

“We want to get more people watching the MLS,” Smith said. “Because the World Cup is so fresh, I think it’s a good opportunity to go do that. … We do put a show on (in this venue). It’s part of the package.”

USMNT midfielder Sebastian Berhalter was among those named to the MLS team, but on Tuesday the Vancouver Whitecaps announced they were transferring Berhalter to English club Middlesbrough FC. Other World Cup participants named to the game include team captain Tim Ream (Charlotte), midfielder Max Arfsten (Columbus) and goalkeeper Matt Freese (New York City FC).

–Bob Sutton, Field Level Media

The Green Bay Packers placed All-Pro edge rusher Micah Parsons on the physically unable to perform list on Tuesday as he recovers from a season-ending ACL injury in 2025.

Parsons, 27, said in early June that he is four months away from being cleared to practice. If he opens the season on the PUP list, he automatically has to miss at least the first four games.

The Packers also placed offensive tackle Brant Banks, defensive tackle Nazir Stackhouse, defensive end Jordon Riley and long snapper Matthew Orzech on the PUP list.

Players can be placed on the active/PUP list only before the start of training camp, which for Green Bay is Wednesday.

They count against the 90-man roster limit and can attend team meetings and use team facilities in the preseason. They can come off the list at any time in camp and practice immediately. Otherwise, they cannot participate in any portion of practice while on the list.

If Parsons does start the season on the PUP list, he would be eligible to practice ahead of the Packers’ Week 5 home matchup against the rival Chicago Bears on Oct. 11. The following Sunday, Green Bay hosts Parsons’ former team, the Dallas Cowboys.

Parsons underwent ACL surgery Dec. 29 after a Dec. 14 injury against the Denver Broncos. He revealed on June 3 that the surgery included a procedure on his meniscus.

A five-time Pro Bowl selection, Parsons finished his first season with the Packers with 12.5 sacks, 41 tackles, 27 quarterback hits and two forced fumbles, making the All-Pro first team for the third time in five seasons.

Green Bay acquired Parsons from the Dallas Cowboys in a stunning trade on Aug. 28, 2025, then signed him to a four-year, $186 million contract extension through 2029. The Packers sent Kenny Clark and a pair of first-round picks to Dallas in the deal.

Parsons has recorded 65 sacks in 77 games (76 starts) since the Cowboys drafted him with the No. 12 overall pick in 2021. He was the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2021.

In other moves on Tuesday, the Packers signed kicker Lenny Kreig and tight end Thomas Yassmin and released edge Dante Barnett and kicker Lucas Havrisik.

–Field Level Media

Forward Khyah Harper will join the Houston Dash for the remainder of the 2026 season on a free transfer from Gotham FC.

The 23-year-old has appeared in 17 regular-season matches since making her NWSL debut with Gotham FC in March 2025. She scored her first NWSL goal in her first start on Aug. 2, 2025.

With Gotham FC, Harper was part of the squad that won the 2024/25 CONCACAF W Champions Cup. She also helped Gotham win the 2025 NWSL championship as well as the 2026 NWSL Challenge Cup.

A native of Lino Lakes, Minn., Harper made 68 appearances for the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers.

She could make her debut with the Dash as early as Saturday when the club hosts Gotham for Pride Night.

–Field Level Media