Soccer Tejas
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HOUSTON (July 10, 2026) – Houston Dynamo 2 goalkeeper and reigning Goalie Wars champ Pedro Cruz has been selected to participate in the 2026 GoalieWars as a part of a revamped 2026 MLS All-Star Skills Challenge, presented by AT&T, on Tuesday, July 28, the league announced today.
The 2026 MLS All-Stars Skills Challenge will take place at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina, and will be available to watch on Apple TV and the Apple TV app. Tickets for the event are also available HERE.
This year, for the first time in Goalie Wars history, two MLS NEXT Pro goalkeepers, including Cruz, will compete with goalkeepers from MLS and LIGA MX in a reimagined format of All-Star Goalie Wars, presented by Old Spice.
In this unique single-elimination competition, goalkeepers will go head-to-head, attempting to score on their opponent by throwing, kicking or drop-kicking the ball while protecting their own goal. Each matchup consists of four 90-second rounds and the player with the most goals in each round wins. Similar to last year, each goalie can play one “Bonus Ball” per round, worth two points instead of one if scored.
The other MLS NEXT Pro goalkeeper competing for the coveted 2026 Goalie Wars championship is Will Mackay from Huntsville City FC.
Cruz, who was named the MLS NEXT Pro goalkeeper of the month in both March and April, helped lead Dynamo 2 to an 11-match unbeaten streak to open this season, registering five clean sheets and 48 saves while posting an 85.7 save percentage during that stretch. His most notable performance came on April 19 at Real Monarchs, where he recorded seven saves to earn MLS NEXT Pro Player of Matchday 7. The shot stopper currently ranks third in the league in clean sheets and is tied for third with saves.
The 21-year-old joined Dynamo 2 on a full transfer ahead of the 2025 season from Futebol Clube Ska Brasil, where he spent two seasons with Ska Brasil and on loan with Brazilian Séria A side Esporte Clube Bahia.
