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Son Heung-min (Los Angeles FC) and Lionel Messi (Inter Miami), who will mark the opening of the Major League Soccer (MLS) in the 2026 season, will face off in front of about 80,000 spectators.
The U.S. World Soccer Talk highlighted on the 28th (Korea Standard Time) that "the first match between Son Heung-min and Messi in North America will be held on a much larger stage than the originally scheduled stadium."
Los Angeles FC and Inter Miami will clash at 11:30 a.m. (Korea Standard Time) on the 22nd of next month in the opening game of the 2026 season MLS. This is the first time that Son Heung-min and Messi face off in MLS.
LAFC usually uses BMO Stadium as its home stadium, but the MLS secretariat has decided to hold the two teams' games at the LA Memorial Coliseum.
World Soccer Talk said, "The secretariat's decision is aimed at maximizing the mobilization of spectators for the opening game," adding, "BMO Stadium can accommodate 22,000 people, while the Memorial Coliseum can accommodate up to 77,000. "This game is expected to be one of the largest spectators in MLS history," he explained.
The Memorial Coliseum is the venue where the 1932 and 1984 Olympic Games were held and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games are also scheduled to be held. Although national teams' A-match games such as the North-China Gold Cup have been held, it is the first time in history that an MLS game will be held here.
This is the effect of Son Heung-min and Messi. The media said, "The attention that has been paid to MLS since Messi's joining in 2023 has ignited the league's continued growth. With Son Heung-min's joining last summer, the enthusiasm was further heightened, he said. "This showdown is expected to be a cross-generational MLS match."
Son Heung-min and Messi have faced each other twice on the European stage. It was Group B of the UEFA Champions League group stage in the 2018-2019 season, and Tottenham had only one draw and one loss at the time.
Son Heung-min scored one assist and Messi scored two goals in the London showdown, where they faced off as starters side by side. In the match held in Barcelona, Son Heung-min started and Messi replaced, respectively, but neither of them scored an offensive point.
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*This content was translated by AI.
