US EditionLeo Messi and MLS Champs Inter Miami Get Trounced 3-0 by Denis Bouanga and LAFC in Season Opener
LAFC limited Messi and Inter Miami to three shots on goal while scoring three times, winning before a record crowd of 75,673 at the Memorial Coliseum.
- On Feb. 21, 2026, LAFC defeated Inter Miami 3-0 at the L.A. Memorial Coliseum, extending their season-opening unbeaten run to 9-0-0.
- Moved to the Coliseum for demand around Messi and Son, the game drew 75,673 fans, the second-largest standalone attendance in MLS history, league officials said.
- After a costly Miami turnover, LAFC punished on the counter as Stephen Eustáquio found Son Heung-min, who set up David Martínez for the opener, while Denis Bouanga scored in the 73rd and Nathan Ordaz sealed the 3-0 win.
- Lionel Messi's limited training after a hamstring issue showed during the match as Inter Miami possession failed to seriously threaten LAFC's goal.
- Both clubs enter the season as top contenders for MLS Cup and continental titles, with LAFC's win marking a new era under coach Dos Santos and both teams participating in the Concacaf Champions Cup and Leagues Cup.
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119 Articles
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Dos Santos gives LAFC an A+ for handling Messi in MLS opener
New Los Angeles FC coach Marc Dos Santos gave his team an A+ for the way they handled Lionel Messi in Saturday’s season-opening victory over Inter Miami. LAFC swept the reigning MLS Cup champions aside with a 3-0 win at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, where a crowd of 75,673 made it the ...
How Furious Messi Confronted Referees After Inter Miami's Loss To Los Angeles
Lionel Messi has been pictured invading the referees’ dressing room after his Inter Miami team lost 3-0 to Los Angeles FC in their opening Major League Soccer (MLS) encounter of the new season in the early hours of Sunday. The 38-year-old Argentine was reportedly furious that referee Pierre-Luc Lauzière failed to call for fouls he suffered n the match. In front of a record 75,000 crowd at the BMO Stadium, Los Angeles FC claimed a dominant victor…
Inter Miami played their first game of the new season, and the clash with LAFC ended not only with a heavy defeat, but also with a tense scene after the final whistle. Lionel Messi, visibly upset, headed towards the referee team, but was stopped in time by teammate Luis Suarez, thus preventing the situation from escalating further.
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