MLS Best XI: How the All-Star Team Is Selected

The MLS Best XI is the league's official end-of-season all-star team, recognizing the 11 best performers of the regular season. First awarded in 2005, the Best XI has become one of MLS's most prestigious individual honors -- a selection that validates a player's status among the league's elite.

Unlike the MLS All-Star Game, which is a mid-season exhibition, the Best XI is a curated selection that reflects a full season of performance. For a broader look at MLS's top players and individual awards, see our MLS players guide.

How the Best XI Is Selected

The Voting Process

The MLS Best XI is determined through a vote that combines input from several groups:

MLS club technical staff (head coaches, assistant coaches, and technical directors)
Select media members who cover MLS throughout the season
MLS senior leadership

Each voter submits a full 11-player team in a standard formation (typically a 4-3-3 or 4-4-2). Players are slotted into specific positions, which means the voting inherently considers positional balance. A dominant season from five central midfielders will not result in all five being selected -- the team must fit a recognizable tactical shape.

Selection Criteria

There are no published statistical thresholds for Best XI selection. Voters consider the full body of a player's regular-season work, including:

Statistical production: Goals, assists, clean sheets, tackles, interceptions, and other measurable outputs.
Team context: Players on successful teams tend to receive more votes, though excellent performers on weaker clubs can still be selected.
Consistency: Season-long excellence matters more than a spectacular stretch followed by mediocre form.
Positional impact: How much the player elevated their position group relative to peers across the league.

Announcement Timing

The Best XI is typically announced in November, after the regular season ends but before or during the MLS Cup Playoffs. Like the MVP award, it is a regular-season honor -- playoff performance does not factor into the selection.

Formation and Positional Breakdown

The Best XI uses a single formation each year, chosen to best reflect the top performers across positions. The most common formations used have been:

4-3-3: Three forwards, three midfielders, four defenders, one goalkeeper
4-4-2: Two forwards, four midfielders, four defenders, one goalkeeper
3-5-2: Two forwards, five midfielders, three defenders, one goalkeeper

The formation choice means that certain positions are inherently more competitive than others. There is only one goalkeeper spot, so even an outstanding season from a second-choice keeper goes unrecognized. Similarly, if the formation is a 4-3-3, only three midfielders make the cut, regardless of how many excellent midfield seasons occurred.

Notable Best XI Selections Through the Years

Repeat Selections

Several players have been named to the Best XI multiple times, cementing their status as the best of their era:

Carlos Vela: Multiple selections during LAFC's dominant 2018-2019 period, including the historic 2019 season where he scored 34 goals.
Diego Valeri: The Portland Timbers playmaker earned multiple Best XI nods during his peak years, recognized for his creativity and consistency.
Matt Turner: Selected as the Best XI goalkeeper in 2021 after his outstanding season with the New England Revolution.
Walker Zimmerman: The center back has been named to the Best XI multiple times, reflecting his status as one of the league's premier defenders.

Position-Specific Trends

Goalkeepers: The Best XI goalkeeper tends to come from a team with one of the best defensive records in the league. Statistical leaders in save percentage and clean sheets usually receive the nod, though there is room for voters to reward a goalkeeper whose individual performances exceeded what the team's results might suggest.

Defenders: Center backs who combine defensive solidity with ball-playing ability are favored. Full-backs with strong attacking output (assists, crosses, progressive carries) have an advantage in voting. The modern game rewards defenders who contribute to both phases.

Midfielders: The midfield spots are often the most competitive. Depending on the formation, only 3-4 midfielders make the cut, and voters must balance attacking creators, box-to-box runners, and defensive anchors.

Forwards: Goal-scoring production is the primary differentiator. The Golden Boot winner is almost always included in the Best XI, and the remaining forward spots typically go to players with 15+ goals and significant creative output.

Best XI vs. Other MLS Awards

The Best XI exists alongside several other individual honors:

| Award | What It Recognizes | |-------|-------------------| | Best XI | Best 11 players of the regular season | | MVP (Landon Donovan Award) | Single most valuable player | | Golden Boot | Top goal scorer | | Goalkeeper of the Year | Best goalkeeper | | Defender of the Year | Best defender | | Newcomer of the Year | Best first-year player | | Coach of the Year | Best head coach |

The Best XI is unique because it is the only award that recognizes excellence across all positions in a single announcement. A player can win both MVP and a Best XI selection in the same year -- in fact, every MVP winner in the modern era has also been named to the Best XI.

How Best XI Impacts Player Careers

Contract Negotiations

Best XI selection gives players leverage in contract negotiations. Being named one of the league's 11 best players is concrete evidence of value, and agents frequently cite Best XI selections when arguing for higher salaries or Designated Player status.

Transfer Value

For players looking to move to European leagues or other international markets, Best XI selection signals to scouts and sporting directors that the player is performing at the highest level in MLS. Several Best XI selections have preceded significant transfers:

Players selected to the Best XI have gone on to transfers to the Premier League, Bundesliga, La Liga, and other top European leagues.
The honor carries weight in scouting reports as a peer-validated measure of quality.

Legacy and Historical Standing

Multiple Best XI selections help define a player's legacy within MLS. Players who earn 4-5+ selections are remembered as generational talents who sustained excellence over extended periods -- not just one-season wonders or players who had a single great year.

Criticism and Debate

The Best XI is not without controversy. Common criticisms include:

Positional rigidity: The formation requirement means outstanding players can be excluded simply because their position is overrepresented in a given year. A season with five exceptional center midfielders will still only see 2-3 selected.
Big-market bias: Players on high-profile teams like LAFC, LA Galaxy, Atlanta United, and Inter Miami tend to receive more visibility and potentially more votes.
Conference imbalance: In some years, one conference has been noticeably stronger than the other, leading to debates about whether the Best XI should require representation from both conferences or simply pick the best 11 regardless.
Subjectivity: Without standardized metrics or defined weighting for different statistical categories, the voting process relies heavily on individual voters' priorities and viewing habits.

Despite these critiques, the Best XI remains the most comprehensive end-of-season individual honor in MLS. It is the closest the league comes to naming a definitive team of the year, and selection is a genuine mark of distinction for the players who earn it.