Superstar Son Heung-min (34, LAFC) will go all in for the season opener against Lionel Messi (39, Inter Miami).
The MLS office announced on the 27th that the LAFC vs. Inter Miami first-round match of the 2026 season, scheduled for Feb. 21, will be held at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum instead of the usual BMO Stadium.
The match, originally scheduled to be held at LAFC's home ground, BMO Stadium, was moved to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, which can hold 77,000 spectators. The existing stadium has a capacity of about 22,000. It was judged to be far too small to host such a mega match.
The MLS office expanded the stage to make the Son Heung-min vs. Messi matchup the biggest event in MLS history. On that day, attendance is expected to far exceed 70,000, setting a new single-game attendance record for an LAFC match. The MLS single-game attendance record is 82,110 at the 2023 derby between LA Galaxy and LAFC at the Rose Bowl Stadium.
LAFC is also paying close attention to the highly anticipated Son Heung-min vs. Messi matchup. LAFC said it had decided not to play Son Heung-min in preseason matches.
LAFC said, "Son Heung-min plans to play as captain of the Republic of Korea national team in the MLS regular season and various competitions this year, and in the FIFA World Cup," adding, "As a player who will play a lot, he needs to manage his condition."
LAFC emphasized that this decision was made to manage his condition. This is the first time in Son Heung-min's career that the spring-autumn season is starting. Because it is his first experience taking a break during the winter, it means club-level consideration is necessary.
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