LOS ANGELES — A reloaded Inter Miami opens its title defense Saturday night against LAFC, carrying the weight that comes with being the reigning MLS Cup champion and, of course, the team everyone wants to see.
That mostly has to do with one Lionel Messi, the two-time MLS MVP and World Cup winner who has turned Miami into not just the league’s main attraction, but also its most valuable franchise. The pink-clad visitors arrive as betting favorites to repeat, but before any talk of trophies, they’ll start the season thousands of miles from home, in front of an expected crowd of more than 60,000 fans at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
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Yes, that Coliseum. The historic home of USC football that sits right next door to LAFC’s much cozier BMO Stadium. It’s the first MLS regular-season game ever played there, and it was moved to accommodate the Messi effect.
Messi, coming off another ridiculous year, enters 2026 with one eye on another World Cup run with Argentina, which means Miami will be careful early in the season. Still, when he’s on the field, he changes everything — for opponents, for stadiums, and for the league.
And so the season begins here, under the bright lights, in a building that’s seen just about everything.
Follow all of the action below.
Live25 updates
Sat, February 21, 2026 at 8:34 PM PST
Attendance is 75,673, the most attended opening weekend match in MLS history and the second highest attendance of any match all time.
Sat, February 21, 2026 at 8:33 PM PST
Sat, February 21, 2026 at 8:23 PM PST
Sat, February 21, 2026 at 8:21 PM PST
Bouanga played a Tilman pass absolutely perfectly on the counterattack. With a quick flick over the head of St. Clair he rebounded his self-pass and directed the ball into the net for the two-goal lead. That could be it for the home team after a brilliant pass from Tilman and a finesse finish from the Frenchman.
Sat, February 21, 2026 at 8:13 PM PST
Sat, February 21, 2026 at 8:11 PM PST
Berterame gets his best chance of the night with a wide open shot mere feet away from Lloris but sends it wide right instead.
Sat, February 21, 2026 at 8:07 PM PST
Depaul’s cross finds Berterame in the box, however, Porteous dives in front of it to send it out of bounds with a dangerous header.
Sat, February 21, 2026 at 7:53 PM PST
The second half is underway!
Sat, February 21, 2026 at 7:45 PM PST
Armando Botello II
The opener may have been meant to be about the reigning champs, the repeat talk, the gravity of Messi bending the league toward Miami. Instead, LAFC owned the first half. Not just with the goal, but with 10-3 total shots, 3 of which were on target with just 1 for Miami. An upset for the reigning champs is brewing. How will they respond?
Sat, February 21, 2026 at 7:36 PM PST
Messi nearly equalizes after being thrown to the ground. He quickly hopped up and found the ball in front of him 20 yards away from Lloris and sent it sailing.
Sat, February 21, 2026 at 7:32 PM PST
On nearly the exact same set up, Bouanga finds a streaking Martinez for a 1-on-1, only this time Martinez’s curler goes just wide of the far post. LAFC nearly took a two-goal lead into halftime.
Sat, February 21, 2026 at 7:22 PM PST
Sat, February 21, 2026 at 7:20 PM PST
Sat, February 21, 2026 at 7:18 PM PST
LAFC gets on the board first thanks to a mistake by Miami. Tilman forced the turnover, but it was Son who capitalized with an assist to Martinez. The young Venezuelan curled the ball past St. Clair and into the far left corner of the goal to put the home squad ahead.
Sat, February 21, 2026 at 7:08 PM PST
It’s Bouanga again sending in a stealth cross right in front of St. Clair, but Martinez can’t get his foot on it.
Sat, February 21, 2026 at 7:03 PM PST
Sat, February 21, 2026 at 6:59 PM PST
Bouanga again slices through the Miami defense with a pass to Tilman inside the box. Tilman’s goal opportunity was quickly nixed, however, as Falcon slid in front of it and deflected it out.
Sat, February 21, 2026 at 6:53 PM PST
Berterame gets in on the action hoping to feed Messi near the box. Porteous is there to intercede and sends the incoming pass the other way,
Sat, February 21, 2026 at 6:50 PM PST
Bouanga brilliantly cut through the Miami defense to feed the run of Son, who had a 1-on-1 with St. Clair but couldn’t find the shot. He sends it back Bouanga who one times it, forcing the save from St. Clair.
Sat, February 21, 2026 at 6:45 PM PST
De Paul chips the ball flying into the box toward a streaking Messi, but Lloris is there to thwart the attack as he falls on top of it.