Son Heungmin and Lionel Messi will be two of the biggest stars at the FIFA World Cup 2026™ and the global icons helped build up hype for the global showpiece by squaring off in front of incredible 75,673 fans in Los Angeles at the weekend.
The legendary duo were the star attractions in LAFC’s season opener against Inter Miami at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Saturday, with the home team convincingly coming out the winners with a 3-0 triumph.
It was the highest-attended game in MLS opening weekend history and second all-time, only behind the 82,100 fans who watched LAFC take on local rivals Los Angeles Galaxy at the Rose Bowl on 4 July 2023.
Alongside FIFA World Cup™ champion Hugo Lloris, Son played his part in taking down Messi and Co by setting up David Martinez’s opener for LAFC with FIFA Club World Cup 2025™ hero Denis Bouanga also getting on the scoresheet alongside Nathan Ordaz.
“The atmosphere in the stadium was nice for the team,” Bouanga told reporters. “We know the fans are coming to support us. It’s good for my team-mates and for me as we push in the season.”
Los Angeles will be at the heart and soul of the FIFA World Cup 2026, with Los Angeles Stadium staging eight matches, including USA’s opener against Paraguay on 12 June and the Stars and Stripes’ third group stage match on 25 June. There will also be two Round-of-32 matches and a quarter-final clash at the iconic venue.
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, for its part, is due to stage a five-day FIFA Fan Fest from 11-15 June.
Messi, 38, is expected to take part in a record sixth World Cup with Argentina in North America. The defending champions face Algeria, Austria and Jordan in Group J.
Son will be seeking glory with Korea Republic, who have been drawn in Group A alongside co-hosts Mexico, South Africa and the UEFA Playoff D winner, which will be Czechia, Denmark, North Macedonia or Republic of Ireland.
“It’s going to be a big year for MLS. For the first time, we’re taking a break during the World Cup. This is a seminal year in the history of our sport, our league,” said MLS commissioner Don Garber at the game.
