Schweinsteiger to captain MLS All-Stars against Real Madrid

Bastian Schweinsteiger may only have half a year's worth of action on his MLS resume, but that was more than enough to give the experienced German icon the captain's armband for the MLS All-Star Game.

Schweinsteiger was named skipper of the star-studded lineup after winning a fan vote on Snapchat and will guide the likes of Kaka, David Villa, and Giovani Dos Santos out of the tunnel as this exhibition outfit takes on Champions League title holder Real Madrid at Soldier Field in Chicago.

It's an honor fitting the occasion and the venue for the Chicago Fire man, who helped propel Veljko Paunovic's lot back into the upper echelons of the league. Chicago, which became all too familiar with the Eastern Conference basement over the last two seasons, sits near the top of the table in 2017.

"I want to say thank you for voting me for the MLS All-Star Game, and also for voting me to be captain of that match," Schweinsteiger said, in a video posted by the league on Twitter. "It means a lot for me. It's a big match against Real Madrid. I'm really looking forward to it."