Lionel Messi And Son Heung-min will face each other for the first time in North America, such as in 2026 Major League Football season, both stars will be seen on matchday 1. Because the competition is scheduled on the west coast, the long-awaited confrontation between FC Los Angeles and Inter Miami has undergone a change of venue.
The wave of attention was caught MLS has fueled the league’s continued growth since Messi’s arrival in 2023, with Son joining LAFC last summer as the most expensive signing in the league’s history. Now meeting for the first time since the South Korean star’s move to North America, the match will take place on a significantly larger platform.
The Messi clash InterMiami and Son’s LAFC on February 21 will be played at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. It will be the first time the Black & Gold will take a home game away from BMO Stadium and move to the historic home of the USC Trojans for what will be a generational MLS showdown.
The organizers’ decision is aimed at maximizing attendance for the season opener. While BMO Stadium can accommodate approximately 22,000 fans, the Memorial Coliseum can seat up to 77,000 peoplehoping the match could become one of the most attended games in MLS history.
A general view of the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
In addition to hosting the 1932 and 1984 Olympic Games (and scheduled to do so again in 2028), the Memorial Coliseum has hosted multiple football events, including CONCACAF Gold Cup matches and international friendlies with Mexico and Argentina. Now, the meeting between LAFC and Inter Miami marks the first MLS match ever played on “The Grand Old Lady.”
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Head-to-head between Messi and Son
Despite spending most of his career in Europe, Messi mainly played for Barcelona and Son with Tottenham Hotspur, the two world stars have rarely crossed paths on the pitch. Now competing in the same league, the South Korean icon will get the chance to improve his personal best against the Argentinian legend.
Messi and Son have faced each other only twice before, as Barcelona and Tottenham were drawn into Group B of the 2018/19 UEFA Champions League. Barcelona won 4-2 in Londonwith Messi scoring twice and Son registering an assist, before the teams played to a 1-1 draw at Camp Nou.
The two could have met again in that season’s final, but Barcelona were eliminated in the semi-finals after Liverpool’s dramatic 4-0 comeback at Anfield. With one draw and one loss in head-to-head meetings, Son will now try to equal the record against Messithis time on MLS soil, with the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum as the stage.
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