Messi and LAFC set new records on historic night

Los Angeles enjoyed a double triumph. Beyond the emphatic victory LAFC delivered against Inter Miami, the reigning MLS champions, the Memorial Coliseum proved a resounding success. The fans answered Messi’s call, and the ‘Hollywood’ side, strengthened by Son’s arrival in the summer, has added fresh edge to what is fast becoming a classic rivalry.

A total of 75,673 spectators packed the stadium on Saturday night in Los Angeles, the largest attendance ever recorded for an MLS opening match. Yet that was not the only record to fall in California with the visit of Messi and company.

The game, played in a country where football is not the dominant sport, attracted the highest stadium attendance anywhere in the world on Saturday, 21 February. That came despite fixtures involving giants such as Real Madrid in Spain and Manchester City in England.

“History was made. The largest crowd in MLS history at tonight’s inaugural match between LAFC and Inter Miami,” league commissioner Don Garber wrote on social media, celebrating another milestone in his pledge to grow the competition.

Beyond the draw of seeing Messi, crowned world champion in Qatar in 2022 with Argentina, LAFC now features in two of the biggest attendance figures in MLS history.

The LAFC v Inter Miami clash ranks as the second most attended match in league history, behind only the historic El Tráfico derby between LA Galaxy and LAFC. That match, staged on 4 July 2023 at the Rose Bowl on United States Independence Day, drew 82,110 fans.

On 13 April 2024, Messi also set an attendance record at Arrowhead Stadium, home of the Kansas City Chiefs. A crowd of 72,610 turned out to see Sporting Kansas City host Inter Miami.

Two weeks later, on 27 April 2024, 65,612 spectators filled Gillette Stadium, marking another record for a football match at the venue. Messi delivered a standout performance, scoring twice in a 4–1 victory.

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Chicago Fire likewise capitalised on Messi’s visit on 13 April 2025, when 62,614 fans gathered at Soldier Field. The match ended in a goalless draw.

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