Of the 13 games that kicked off Major League’s Opening Day slate on Saturday, there was no debate about which one was the biggest.
In front of a massive crowd of more than 75,000 fans at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, the two biggest stars in MLS — Inter Miami’s Lionel Messi and LAFC’s Son Heung-min — faced off in both clubs’ 2026 curtain raiser.
It wasn’t a pretty sight for Messi and the defending MLS Cup champions, who got a first-hand look at one of the teams that will challenge them for the title down the road.
Here are my takeaways:
1. Miami’s MLS Cup Defense Begins With A Face Plant
LAFC vs. Inter Miami Highlights | FOX Soccer
Inter Miami has been the class of MLS since Messi’s first full year in the league. In 2024, the Herons won the Supporters Shield with a new regular season points record. Last December, they captured the marquee prize, beating the Vancouver Whitecaps and winning the MLS Cup in front of a star-studded crowd in Fort Lauderdale.
But veteran stars Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets retired following that triumph, and coach Javier Mascerano has spent the winter trying to integrate new players alongside Messi, who will turn 39 in June.
Based on Saturday’s evidence, there’s a lot of work left to do. Miami’s back line was comically porous on Saturday. Take a look at how wide-open Martinez was on LAFC’s opening goal:
The hosts’ second goal was also a comedy of errors and, with just over a quarter-hour remaining at that point, it effectively killed the game. Maybe Miami will figure things out quickly and return to their dominant ways. If not, it could be a long season in South Florida.
2. Denis Bouanga Steals The Show
On a night that was billed as Messi vs. Son, the best player on the field was Bouanga. The 31-year-old French-born Gabon international striker and 2023 MLS Golden Boot winner was everywhere on the pitch on Saturday.
While Son got the assist on the opener, Bouanga was the architect of the two others. Before rounding his defender and putting the ball on a plate for Ordaz, Bouanga put the game away himself, getting behind the visitors’ defense and rounding Miami keeper Dayne St. Clair before calmly slotting into an empty net:
3. Lionel Messi Injury Scare Won’t Be The Last
(Photo by Shaun Clark/Getty Images)
The GOAT still hasn’t confirmed that he will captain defending world champion Argentina at this summer’s FIFA World Cup, saying his participation in the 48-team tournament spread across the U.S., Canada and Mexico will hinge on his health and form early this season in MLS play.
That’s why the site of Messi sprawled out on the turf following a collision around the hour mark momentarily stunned the 75,673 in attendance — more on that in a minute — into silence.
Thankfully, the living legend got up and finished the game. But it was a reminder to those in the house and millions of soccer fans around the world that he is human, and that every chance to see him play, even on a night when he was held off the score-sheet, is a privilege that can’t be taken for granted.
4. A Special Night For MLS
(Photo by Luiza Moraes/MLS via Getty Images)
Demand for tickets to see the first meeting between Messi and Son compelled LAFC to move Saturday’s contest from its usual home, the 22,000-seat BMO Stadium, to the historic Coliseum next door.
This felt like a major event, and it was: the final head count made the match the best attended in global soccer on Saturday and the second-biggest stand-alone regular season match since MLS began way back in 1996. It was also the perfect way to kick off what promises to be a special year for the sport in North America, with the World Cup now less than four months away.
“It’s a massive opportunity for our league to harness all the energy around the sport in our country to have the biggest, most important sporting event in the history of the world happening right in the middle of our season,” MLS commissioner Don Garber told the AppleTV broadcast at halftime.
4 ½. What’s Next?
(Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
Both these teams will be in the conversation all season in the top tier of contenders for both the MLS Cup and the CONCACAF Champions Cup. It’s too early to tell how things will shape up, especially for a Miami squad that will need to get several new players in sync. But the Black-and-Gold have sent a clear message that the road to the MLS Cup may run through the streets of Los Angeles.
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