"Messi-Son Heung-min face-off, organizing a special game → holding a surprise event at the main Olympic Stadium with 77,000 seats" in the U.S

*This content was translated by AI.

Soccer fans from all over the world are paying attention to Los Angeles (LA). Ahead of the historic first MLS showdown between "God of Football" Lionel Messi (Inter Miami) and "EPL Icon" Son Heung-min (Los Angeles FC, hereinafter LAFC), local media in the U.S. are making headlines day after day.

LAFC and Inter Miami will play the 2026 Major League Soccer (MLS) opening game at 11:30 a.m. on the 22nd (Korea Standard Time). Major foreign media predicted that the match, which means a showdown between Son Heung-min and Messi, will be a "milestone in North American football history" beyond a simple league opener.

USA Today, a leading U.S. newspaper, highlighted the special "big match" prepared by the MLS secretariat for this weekend on the 21st, a day before the game. The media said, "The MLS secretariat has prepared a special game, such as a gift for soccer fans this weekend. "Inter Miami and LAFC will face off," he said.

What the media paid attention to is the change in the venue of the game. LAFC's original home stadium is the 22,000-seat "BMO Stadium," but the opening game will be held in a surprise move at the "LA Memorial Coliseum," the main stadium of the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Olympics and the "Holy Land of American Sports."

Moving to this huge stadium, which can accommodate about 77,000 people (up to 77,500), is interpreted as an unconventional decision to handle the cloud crowd that will flock to see the showdown between the two superstars, Messi and Son Heung-min. Locally, they are confident that this game will break the record for the largest number of spectators in MLS history.

ESPN Deportes, a Spanish broadcaster of ESPN, also paid attention to the matchup. In particular, the fact that it is near California, where there are many immigrants from Latin America, is also raising the possibility of a success. In particular, the MLS secretariat also plans to use the game as a box office momentum for the North American World Cup.

The reunion between Son Heung-min and Messi is the first in seven years since the European Champions League (UCL). After Son Heung-min, who played for Tottenham in the past, and Messi, who played for Barcelona, faced each other again on the U.S. stage (1-1 draw), the narrative of the two stars is a good prey for local media. "World Soccer Talk" also praised the value of the confrontation, saying, "The legends who commanded Europe have now come together to lead the revival of North American football."

In particular, the biggest point to watch is how Son Heung-min, who is in his second MLS season against Inter Miami, who has a strong record as the "defending champion" last season, will perform. Expectations for a showdown are at their peak, with the news that Messi has recently recovered from his injury and returned to normal team training.

Who will laugh in the "Memorial Coliseum's Blood Fight," where Messi and Son Heung-min are the main characters and the world is paying attention to. The gunfire that marks the spectacular opening of North American football in 2026 is about to ring.

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*This content was translated by AI.