Inter Miami and Los Angeles FC played in front of a record crowd of 75,673 during Saturday's Major League Soccer season-opening weekend.
It was the second-largest attendance in league history behind the 2023 Fourth of July meeting between the Los Angeles Galaxy vs. LAFC at the Rose Bowl, which packed in 82,110 spectators.
Fans turned out in droves at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum watch Lionel Messi, Germán Berterame and Rodrigo De Paul of Inter Miami and LAFC's Son Heung-min, Hugo Lloris and Denis Bouanga compete at the historic venue.
According to Sports Business Journal, MLS attendance across the league totaled 387,271 onlookers during the opening weekend’s 15 scheduled games -- the highest opening day and weekend marks in league history.
Son’s LAFC Prevailed Over Messi’s Inter Miami in Opening Day Rout
Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images
It was a day to forget for Messi and his teammates as LAFC rolled off a 3-0 victory to delight locals inside the 102-year-old stadium.
The two-time MLS MVP was neutralized on the pitch, and his frustrations boiled over after the match when he had to be restrained by teammate Luis Suarez as he appeared to confront match officials.
The Messi Effect and Son Effect are having a positive impact on attendance figures. Eight teams sold out matches during the league's first week of the 2026 season. Last season, seven sell-outs were recorded during opening weekend.
It's likely that the 2026 FIFA World Cup, being played in North America, will cause a soccer boom.