MLS
Galaxy vs LAFC sets MLS attendance record: how big was the crowd at Rose Bowl?
Held at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, LA Galaxy’s victory over LAFC was witnessed by the biggest ever crowd in the history of MLS.
At Pasadena’s Rose Bowl on Tuesday, Los Angeles Galaxy’s win over city rivals Los Angeles FC was watched by an MLS-record crowd that outstripped the league’s previous highest attendance.
Over 80,000 watch Galaxy beat LAFC
82,110 spectators were present at the Independence Day clash, which was moved to the 92,000-capacity Rose Bowl to ensure that a bumper crowd could be accommodated.
Galaxy were 2-1 winners, Riqui Puig’s second-half strike earning the five-time MLS champions their second straight win over LAFC in all competitions.
What was the previous MLS single game attendance record?
Before Tuesday’s game, the largest MLS attendance was recorded when Charlotte FC hosted the Galaxy in March 2022, with a total of 74,479 spectators.
The game was held at the Bank of America Stadium, which the team shares with NFL side the Carolina Panthers. The capacity for the stadium’s MLS fixtures is typically limited to 38,000, but it is expandable to more than 74,000, typically for NFL games.
Atlanta United‘s Mercedes-Benz Stadium was the venue for the three other highest attendances in MLS’s all-time top five. The 71,000-capacity arena stadium is also home to an NFL team, the Atlanta Falcons.
Top five MLS attendances
- 1. LA Galaxy vs LAFC - 2023 - 82,110
- 2. Charlotte FC vs LA Galaxy - 2022 - 74,479
- 3. Atlanta United vs Portland Timbers - 73,019
- 4. Atlanta United vs LA Galaxy - 2019 - 72,548
- 5. Atlanta United vs Seattle Sounders - 2018 - 72,243
The history of the Rose Bowl
The iconic Rose Bowl stadium first opened its doors as an outdoor athletics venue in 1922. It has hosted the Super Bowl five times and became the venue of the annual Rose Bowl Game, a college football competition. The stadium’s record attendance remains the 106,869 from the 1973 Rose Bowl.
It has been used as a venue for countless different sports but more recently has become an iconic soccer venue. It hosted the finals of the 1994 World Cup and the Women’s World Cup in 1999.
In 1996 the Rose Bowl was the venue for LA Galaxy’s first ever MLS fixture, a 2-1 win over New York/New Jersey MetroStars.
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