The clash between Lionel Messi And Son Heung-min drew huge fan interest to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum for one of the most anticipated matchups in Major League Football. While LAFC achieved a dominant 3-0 victory InterMiami, both the Argentinian and South Korean stars made history by contributing to record crowds during a historic opening weekend for the competition.
Of SonWhen he entered the league in the summer of 2025, a match against Messi always felt inevitable. When the MLS released the 2026 schedule, it featured Inter Miami traveling to face LAFCwho also chose to move the match from their usual home at the BMO Stadium for the first time in club history.
With the Colosseum as the location, the match between Messi’s InterMiami and Son’s LAFC drew a sellout crowd of 75,673 fans. The match not only featured among the largest crowds in league history, but also set the record for the highest attendance ever for an MLS season opener.
The records didn’t stop there. According to league figures it is Matchday 1 of the 2026 season attracted a combined attendance of 387,271 fans across all 15 matches. With Messi and Son as headliner, this was not only the most visited opening weekend in history MLS history, but also the highest total attendance for any competition weekend the league has ever organised.
Los Angeles FC fans cheer during the MLS match against Inter Miami CF at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
As more global stars arrive, fan interest in soccer in the United States continues to grow as the 2026 World Cup approaches. In fact, the total represents a An increase of 5% compared to last year’s opening weekend and a An increase of 17% compared to the 2025 regular season average.
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Lionel Messi could face Antoine Griezmann in MLS 2026 as the World Cup winner closes in on a move to rivals Inter Miami
Messi and Son remain just under the all-time MLS score
When the league opener between Inter Miami and LAFC was scheduled, the West Coast club made the bold decision to stage the match at the Coliseum, a venue that has rarely hosted football. The 75,673 fans in attendance witnessed several visitor milestones, although the crowd ultimately fell short of the league’s all-time record.
That mark still belongs to a meeting between 2023 LA Galaxy and LAFC. Played at the Rose Bowl, The July 4 clash in Pasadena drew a crowd of 82,110leaving nearly 7,000 fans shying away from first place during this latest star-studded showdown.
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