Müller, Ream Rewrite the Record Books as MLS All-Star Skills Challenge Lights Up Truist Field
Despite an unplanned intermission due to lightning, a rainy Skills Challenge showed off some of soccer's best under the Charlotte skyline. A fun, star-studded night — rain delays, soggy kits, and all.
Somewhere, Alanis Morissette is taking notes, because Tuesday night at Truist Field had “Ironic” written all over it — an outdoor skills showcase interrupted by a weather delay felt like a plot twist nobody ordered.
Give Charlotte credit, however: the fans stuck it out, the players kept giving it their all between downpours, and by the time it was over the 2026 MLS All-Star Skills Challenge still delivered a night full of celebrities, record-setting shooting, and a hometown champion. The Skills Challenge rolled through Truist Field with five events, a stacked LIGA MX contingent, and a couple of surprise names in the mix — soggy skies included.
Soccer Sheet spoke with one of the competitors, New York City FC goalkeeper and United States Men’s National Team star Matt Freese, after the competition.
“It was fun,” said Freese. “Super enjoyable experience to spend the time with these guys, out there doing the skills challenge, and then obviously the build up to the [All-Star] game tomorrow, the trainings and stuff like that has been great.”
FaZe Rug Crashes the Party before the Pros Take Over
Leave it to a YouTube legend to open the night with a flex.
FaZe Rug stepped up for the Shooting Challenge and dropped a 22-point round — respectable enough that, for about five minutes, it looked like it could hold up against actual professional soccer players.
It didn’t. Then things got serious.
Vancouver Whitecaps midfielder Thomas Müller blitzed his way to 79 points, an all-time record for the event. LIGA MX All-Stars Juan Brunetta and José Paradela both put up real numbers (47 and 59, respectively) trying to chase him down, but it was FC Cincinnati’s Evander — the previous record holder — who had the answer. Needing a near-perfect final round to catch Müller, Evander delivered exactly that, nailing the moving target and matching the record at 79 with his very last shot.
Two record-setting rounds, same night, same number. You can’t script that.
Tim Ream Takes the Passing Challenge
Tim Ream — Charlotte FC defender and USMNT captain — won the Passing Challenge in front of his home crowd, defeating a stacked bracket that included the likes of Carles Gil and Son Heung-min.
Ream opened by knocking off LIGA MX’s Elías Montiel, then watched from the other side as LAFC’s Son held off actor Danny Ramirez — of Marvel fame — in the opening round. Charlotte had a real-life Avenger on the field Tuesday night, and he acquitted himself just fine against a genuine MLS (and Premier League) All-Star.
In the semis, Ream obliterated Son and set a new Passing Challenge record in the process, using only 7 touches to hit 5 targets. Meanwhile, New England Revolution captain Carles Gil beat LIGA MX’s Carlos Rodríguez to reach the final, setting up a Ream-Gil championship that Ream won to claim the title on home turf.
Not a bad souvenir from an All-Star week in your own city.
Crépeau and Ruiz add More Hardware
Orlando City and Canadian national team goalkeeper Maxime Crépeau took the Goalie Wars presented by Old Spice, beating World Cup veteran Matt Freese along the way before outlasting Houston Dynamo 2’s Pedro Cruz in the final, 3-1. Cruz’s run to get there wasn’t easy either — he needed a golden goal to get past Pachuca’s Carlos Moreno in the semis.
Over in the Crossbar Challenge presented by Gillette, Necaxa’s Javier Ruiz took the title, and the bracket had maybe the most random matchup of the night: Evander (fresh off his Shooting Challenge heroics) squaring off against NFL legend Chad Ochocinco. The former Bengals wideout gave it a real go, but Evander advanced and Ruiz eventually took the whole thing down, beating Real Salt Lake’s Zavier Gozo in the final.
LIGA MX Take the Inaugural Relay Challenge
The night wrapped with something brand new: the first-ever MLS vs. LIGA MX Relay Challenge.
LIGA MX’s squad — Fernando Gorriarán, Elías Montiel, Javier Ruiz, Federico Pereira, Carlos Moreno, Carlos Rodríguez, José Paradela, and Juan Brunetta — got the better of MLS’s team of Evander, Zavier Gozo, Matt Freese, Petar Musa, Thomas Müller, Carles Gil, and Tim Ream, crossing the line in 1:34 to claim bragging rights in the event’s debut.
The Wrap-Up
Shooting Challenge: Evander (tied Thomas Müller’s record, 79 points)
Passing Challenge: Tim Ream (Charlotte FC)
Goalie Wars: Maxime Crépeau (Orlando City SC)
Crossbar Challenge: Javier Ruiz (Necaxa)
Relay Challenge: LIGA MX All-Stars
If anything, the weather made it clear how much Charlotte wanted to be there. Fans stayed in their seats, players kept competing between stoppages, and the city proved once again that a little rain isn’t enough to wash out a good soccer night.
A good reminder that All-Star Week is about more than goals and glory.
Skills Challenge Photo Gallery Part 1
Skills Challenge Photo Gallery Part 2
Sam Spencer contributed to this story.
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