The stars were out in force at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Saturday night, as the 2026 Major League Soccer season kicked off with a heavyweight clash between Inter Miami and Los Angeles FC. Lionel Messi versus Son Heung-Min—two global icons, two teams brimming with ambition, and a record-setting crowd of 75,673 fans created an electric atmosphere worthy of a championship final, not just an opening day.
The hype was justified. This wasn’t just any regular-season match; it was a meeting of the league’s two most valuable clubs, both boasting new signings and fresh storylines. The Coliseum, chosen over LAFC’s usual BMO Stadium to accommodate the demand, was awash with anticipation as supporters from both coasts packed the stands.
For Inter Miami, the reigning MLS Cup champions, the night was supposed to be a celebration of their historic 2025 campaign. Last season, they shattered records, tallying 101 goals across all competitions and playing a grueling 58 matches—both MLS bests. Messi, already a legend, became the first player in league history to win the Landon Donovan MLS MVP in consecutive years, bagging the Golden Boot with 29 goals and 48 total goal contributions. But Saturday night would prove a difficult start to their title defense.
Miami entered the match with a bolstered roster. New arrivals included Mexican striker Germán Berterame, Canadian goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair—fresh off an MLS Goalkeeper of the Year award—Spanish left-back Sergio Reguilón, Brazilian defender Michael dos Santos, Argentine right-back Facundo Mura, and midfielder David Ayala. Berterame, who only just received his work visa, was available for selection, while Messi had returned to training after a mild hamstring injury that had forced the postponement of a preseason friendly in Puerto Rico. Coach Javier Mascherano, reflecting on that missed opportunity, said, "It was unfortunate, of course, that we weren't able to go. Not only because it would've given us the opportunity to visit a country we haven't had the chance to visit in recent years, but also because it would've been valuable preparation to face an opponent like Independiente del Valle."
LAFC, meanwhile, entered a new era under manager Marc Dos Santos, previously an assistant under Steve Cherundolo. The squad featured a blend of experience and flair, led by World Cup-winning goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, Korean superstar Son Heung-Min, and Congolese forward Denis Bouanga. Son, coming off a minor lower-body injury that kept him out of preseason exhibitions, had already shown his sharpness earlier in the week, notching a goal and three assists in a 6-1 demolition of Real España in the CONCACAF Champions Cup.
The match itself started with fireworks. Both Messi and Son were in the starting lineups, marking their first on-field duel as starters in 2,699 days since a memorable Champions League night in 2018. LAFC lined up in a 4-3-3, with Bouanga, Son, and David Martínez leading the attack, while Miami countered with a 4-2-3-1, Messi pulling the strings behind Berterame and flanked by Germán Valera and Mateo Silveti.
From the opening whistle, Son was a constant menace. In the sixth minute, he broke through Miami’s high defensive line, only to be forced wide by St. Clair. Son managed to find Bouanga for a point-blank shot, but the Miami goalkeeper was equal to the task. Minutes later, Son was denied again—this time by the defensive wall on a free kick and a deflection on his follow-up volley. The early exchanges set the tone: LAFC would rely on quick transitions and counterattacks, while Miami sought to control possession and create through Messi’s vision.
Despite Miami’s 63.2% possession advantage, LAFC’s incisiveness in attack proved decisive. The breakthrough came in the 38th minute, sparked by a Miami giveaway near midfield. Timothy Tillman poked the ball away from Rodrigo De Paul, Stephen Eustaquio fed it forward, and Son delivered a brilliant pass to Martínez, who finished with a one-touch strike into the far corner. The Coliseum erupted, and Son celebrated with his teammate, savoring the moment. As OSEN’s Ko Seong-hwan reported, "LAFC scored the first goal. Unsurprisingly, it started from Son Heung-min’s foot. In the 38th minute, after cutting the ball in a high position, Son Heung-min delivered a perfect pass to Martínez, who was infiltrating the right wide space. Martínez split the net with an accurate one-touch shot and celebrated with Son Heung-min, savoring the joy."
Inter Miami nearly responded before halftime. Martínez had a chance to double his tally in stoppage time but shot just wide, and Messi, ever the threat, turned in front of goal only to fire narrowly past the post. The Herons pressed forward in the second half, with Messi and Berterame both coming close, but their finishing lacked the clinical edge that defined last season’s run.
Then came a moment Miami will want to forget. In the 73rd minute, LAFC’s Tillman lofted a long ball over the top, catching St. Clair off his line. Bouanga raced onto it and, with a front-flip finish, made it 2-0. The defensive miscue summed up a night when Miami’s backline, still integrating new faces, looked vulnerable against LAFC’s pace and precision. Bouanga wasn’t done—deep into stoppage time, he turned provider, feeding Nathan Ordaz for a close-range tap-in that sealed a 3-0 win and sent the LAFC faithful into raptures.
For LAFC, the victory was a statement. They outshot Miami 16-12 overall and 6-3 on target, with Bouanga and Son central to nearly every dangerous attack. The win also marked the sixth meeting between the clubs, with LAFC now holding four wins to Miami’s two. Bouanga, reflecting on his midweek hat trick, credited his teammates: "The feeling is very good. I'm very happy to score three. My team, my teammates helped me for this hat trick. I say thank you for the five (goal lead), and thank you to my team for that."
Miami, for all its possession and pedigree, looked like a team still searching for chemistry. The absence of retired stalwarts Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets was felt, and the lack of preseason minutes for key signings like Berterame and Tadeo Allende limited their cohesion. Mascherano, never one to shy from responsibility, said after the match, "I’m the only one responsible for the loss, but with the mindset that there are things that can be fixed. We’ll do the individual evaluations in-house and that’s it." He added, "We don’t go crazy when we win, and we don’t make it a tragedy when we lose. We move forward and correct the mistakes we made and stay positive."
As the crowd filtered out of the Coliseum, the message was clear: LAFC is a force to be reckoned with, and Inter Miami, for all its star power, has work to do if it hopes to repeat last year’s heroics. Both teams now look ahead—LAFC with confidence, Miami with determination—to what promises to be a thrilling MLS season.