FC Cincinnati midfielder Luciano Acosta has been named captain of the 2023 MLS All-Star Team, Major League Soccer announced today. The 2023 MLS All-Star Game will take place Wednesday, July 19 at 8 p.m. ET at Audi Field in Washington, D.C. as the league’s best take on English Premier League side Arsenal FC.
The MLS All-Star Game will stream for free exclusively on MLS Season Pass on the Apple TV app or online at tv.apple.com.
Acosta beat out three other finalists in the first-ever MLS All-Star Captain Fan Vote presented by Captain Morgan – Christian Benteke of D.C. United, Roman Bürki of St. Louis CITY SC, and Walker Zimmerman of Nashville SC.
Acosta’s nod as captain of the MLS All-Star Team comes in his second-career All-Star Game appearance (2022). The Argentine will also take place in the 2023 MLS All-Star Skills Challenge on Tuesday, July 18 (7:30 p.m. ET | Apple TV – Free).
The 29-year-old Argentine leads FC Cincinnati with 10 goals this season in 20 regular season appearances. The attacking midfielder’s 17 goal contributions rank third in MLS, and his five games this season of multiple goal contributions rank second in the league.
Acosta has been named to the MLS Team of the Matchday seven times this season. His nine goals since the beginning of May are third-most in MLS over that span.
Acosta, who has captained the Orange and Blue a club-record 79 times, was selected as one of FC Cincinnati’s MLS-best three All-Stars this year alongside Álvaro Barreal and Matt Miazga.
Acosta will return to Washington D.C. where he spent four seasons with D.C. United from 2016-19. He scored 25 goals and added 35 assists for the Black-and-Red. In 2018, he was named to the MLS Best XI where he and 2023 MLS All-Star Team Head Coach Wayne Rooney became one of the premier duos in the league, dubbed “Luchoroo.”
New to the All-Star voting process in 2023, fans had the opportunity to nominate one of their 11 player selections as the captain of the MLS All-Star team. Of the players selected for the 2023 MLS All-Star team, the four players who received the most captain nominations from the fan vote were placed on a ballot and eligible to be selected by fans as the MLS All-Star captain.
The Orange and Blue return home to TQL Stadium Saturday, July 15 to take on Nashville SC. The match has been announced as a sellout.
