COLUMBUS, Ohio — Earlier this week, Gov. Mike DeWine, Commissioner of Major League Soccer Don Garber, Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther, and Haslam Sports Group partner JW Johnson announced that the 2024 MLS All-Star game would be hosted at Lower.com Field, home of the Columbus Crew on July 17.
The Columbus Crew is one of the original teams that were first introduced into the MLS.
"The global eyes of soccer will be on us during that game and that entire week and it will really shine a light on our region as the center of the sporting world, particularly soccer," said the Columbus Crew President and General Manager Tim Bezbatchenko. "It is a global game. It's inclusive, it's exciting, and it's emotional. We're at a place where we're leading in many ways in the global game of soccer."
Lately, attention has sparked in the MLS, and that's because of one major international player joining: Lionel Messi. Messi made headlines worldwide once he confirmed he would be signing to a club here in the United States. He's joining Inter Miami CF.
While Bezbatchenko is expecting to see Messi in Ohio next year, he says the impact of Messi's U.S. move will increase their pedigree and reputation. He said that their goal is for their league to be one of the top leagues in the world.
"The U.S. is quickly becoming the epicenter of the global game of soccer," Bezbatchenko said.
The CONCACAF Gold Cup is being played in the U.S. and Canada and will end next month with the final match in Inglewood, California. The United States is also set to host the 2024 Copa America, the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, and the most significant event of them all, the 2026 World Cup.
For this MLS season, they have added a new tournament called the Leagues Cup. It puts teams against their Liga-MX opponents, putting MLS teams up for more of a challenge versus other top-tier clubs in Latin America.
If you're interested in watching MLS matches, Bezbatchenko said fans could get a season pass on Apple TV for all access.
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