Juventus to face MLS all-stars in 2018 in Atlanta

Gianluigi Buffon

Italian champion Juventus will face the MLS all-stars in 2018, the league announced Thursday.

Juventus lift the Scudetto following their victory in the 2016-17 season. (AP Photo)

The storied soccer club from Turin will play the all-stars at the 71,000-capacity Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on August 1. MLS says the game will be broadcast to more than 170 countries around the world.

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“This match featuring the best of MLS against a legendary club like Juventus will be a great showcase for the city,” Atlanta United head coach Tata Martino, who will be in charge of the MLS all-stars, said in a statement Thursday. “I’m proud to represent my club and MLS in the all-star game. I have no doubt that our passionate fans will give us a powerful home-field advantage at Mercedes-Benz Stadium and show Juventus the soccer city that Atlanta has become.”

AS Roma, which won 3-1 in 2013 in Kansas City, is the only other Italian club to take part in the all-star game. The MLS all-stars are 8-4-2 against teams from the English Premier League, Spain’s La Liga, Germany’s Bundesliga, Mexico’s Liga MX and the Scottish Premier League.

Juventus has won the Italian league 33 times, including the last six seasons, and currently tops the Serie A standings with a 24-2-3 record.

The MLS-all-star game is presented by Target.