Hollywood knows its stars, and that was clear on Saturday night as a historic crowd of 75,673 fans flocked to catch Lionel Messi, Son Heung-min, Denis Bouanga, Rodrigo De Paul and many other stars in LAFC’s 3–0 season-opening win over Inter Miami.
Instead of hosting the marquee match at BMO Stadium, LAFC’s usual home, the club moved the game to the famous Los Angeles Coliseum, which served as the primary venue for the 1932 and 1984 Olympic Games and will host the LA 2028 Olympics as well.
The massive turnout to kick off the 31st MLS season marked the largest-ever attendance for an MLS opening weekend match and the second-highest standalone attendance in league history, trailing only the 82,110 fans who packed into the Rose Bowl for the LA Galaxy’s 2–1 El Tráfico win over LAFC on July 4, 2023.
With the big stage, the superstars and the season-opener allure, the massive crowds made sure to make history. They undoubtedly helped power LAFC to a dominant victory, given the sea of Black and Gold in the stands, with few pink spots for Miami supporters.
Outside of reaching the historic mark for MLS attendance history, the game also measured as the highest-attended in global soccer on Saturday, taking advantage of a larger stadium capacity than most top European and South American clubs were using.
LAFC Put on Show for Home Supporters
While the crowd turned out to see the best of MLS’s superstars, the game fell comfortably for LAFC, with Son picking up an assist, Bouanga netting a goal, and youngsters Nathan Ordaz and David Martínez adding to the dominant victory for the home side.
“The atmosphere in the stadium was nice for the team,” Bouanga told reporters postgame. “We know the fans are coming to support us. It’s good for my teammates and for me as we push in the season.”
With the season-opening win secured, LAFC now looks to Tuesday to close out their first round Concacaf Champions Cup tie against Honduran side Real España after a 6–1 win in the first leg, before returning to MLS play against the Houston Dynamo on Feb. 28. Miami, meanwhile, hopes to bounce back against Florida rivals Orlando City on March 1.
Top 10 Regular Season Attendances in MLS History
| Match | Total Attendance | Year |
|---|---|---|
| LA Galaxy 2–1 LAFC | 82,110 | 2023 |
| LAFC 3–0 Inter Miami | 75,673 | 2026 |
| Charlotte FC 0–1 LA Galaxy | 74,479 | 2022 |
| Sporting Kansas City 2–3 Inter Miami | 72,610 | 2024 |
| Atlanta United 3–0 LA Galaxy | 72,548 | 2019 |
| Atlanta United 1–1 Seattle Sounders | 72,243 | 2018 |
| Atlanta United 3–1 D.C. United | 72,035 | 2018 |
| Atlanta United 2–0 Real Salt Lake | 72,017 | 2018 |
| Atlanta United 4–0 Orlando City | 71,932 | 2018 |
| Atlanta United 2–2 Toronto FC | 71,874 | 2017 |
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as LAFC, Inter Miami Smash Records in MLS Opener As Son, Messi Face Off.
