NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Nashville Soccer Club and Major League Soccer announced today that midfielder Hany Mukhtar, defender Andy Najar and goalkeeper Brian Schwake have been named First XI 2026 MLS All-Stars. The First XI were selected through a combined vote of MLS fans, players and media members with Nashville SC leading the league with three players chosen.
The 2026 MLS All-Star Game presented by Chime in Charlotte, N.C., will see the MLS All-Stars take on a team of All-Stars from Mexico’s top league, LIGA MX, on Wednesday, July 29 (7 p.m. CT) at Charlotte FC’s Bank of America Stadium.
Nashville SC captain Hany Mukhtar, who eclipsed the 100-career goal mark for the Boys in Gold this year, has been named an MLS All-Star for the fifth consecutive season—the longest active streak in the league. The midfielder leads NSC in scoring with six goals and five assists and is tied for the sixth most goal contributions in MLS in 2026 with 11.
Andy Najar, who was named to his first All-Star team last year during his eighth season in MLS, is second among defenders in assists this season with five while serving on a backline that has conceded the fewest goals (11) in 2026.
Brian Schwake, who in his first year as a full-time starter is the first goalkeeper in Nashville SC history to make the All-Star team, set an MLS record earlier this season by going unbeaten in his first 14 career starts across all competitions. He leads the league in wins in 2026 with 10, has the second most shutouts with six and has the second lowest goals against average among starting goalkeepers at 0.79.
The Boys in Gold have had at least one player selected for every MLS All-Star Game since entering the league in 2020 (2021-26, no All-Star Game in 2020 due to COVID-19).
With a record of 10W-1L-3D, Nashville SC is tied for the best 14-game start in MLS history during the last 25 years and leads the league’s Supporters’ Shield standings.
To complete the MLS All-Star Game presented by Chime roster, the remaining 15 selections will consist of 13 players chosen by MLS All-Star head coach Dean Smith of the host club, Charlotte FC, and two players selected by MLS Commissioner Don Garber. The full MLS All-Star Game presented by Chime roster will be announced at a later date.
About Nashville SC
Nashville SC joined Major League Soccer on Feb. 29, 2020 in front of the largest attendance ever recorded for a soccer match in the State of Tennessee and won its first trophy and the first major professional sports championship in Tennessee history with its victory in the 2025 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. In its inaugural MLS season, Nashville SC defied expectations by becoming the second MLS expansion side to win and advance to the Conference Semifinals in the 2020 Audi MLS Cup Playoffs. Nashville SC returned to the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs in its sophomore campaign after becoming just the seventh team in MLS history to go unbeaten at home in a season. The Boys in Gold again qualified for the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs in 2022, 2023, and 2025, becoming just the third team in league history to reach the postseason during the team's first four years in existence and the ninth to do so in five of its first six seasons. Nashville SC inaugurated GEODIS Park, the largest soccer-specific stadium in the United States and Canada, in front of a sellout crowd of 30,109 on May 1, 2022. For more information, visit NashvilleSC.com and follow the club at @NashvilleSC on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, X and Spotify.
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