February 23 – The opening matchday of the new Major League Soccer between Los Angeles FC and Inter Miami CF delivered a record-breaking 75,673 fans to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, the largest crowd ever recorded for an MLS opening-weekend fixture.
It doesn’t hurt when the GOAT, Lionel Messi, comes to town, because records follow the Argentine around like silverware.
Saturday’s turnout also ranks as the second-highest standalone attendance in MLS history, beaten only by the 82,110 who packed the nearby Rose Bowl for El Tráfico between the LA Galaxy and LAFC on July 4, 2023.
On the field, LAFC delivered an emphatic win, while off it, the Coliseum proved an undeniable success. The star power of Messi and Heung-Min Son makes the event a ‘can’t miss viewing’ experience for football fans in the region. The regular home of LAFC is BMO Stadium, however the capacity of the venue is 22,000. The Coliseum, a stone’s throw away, was the logical choice for this fixture.
What makes this number pop is the global context. This weekend, with the likes of Real Madrid and Manchester City also on the calendar, this match produced the highest stadium attendance anywhere in the world on Saturday. In a country where football still fights for front-page visibility, MLS owned the global stage.
“History was made. The largest crowd in MLS history at tonight’s inaugural match between LAFC and Inter Miami,” commissioner Don Garber wrote on social media.
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