‘MLS is Back’ opening weekend features as scintillating a matchup as the league can offer, when Los Angeles FC hosts Inter Miami at the historic L.A. Memorial Coliseum on Saturday, Feb. 21.
This will be the first time that LAFC has played a league match at the Coliseum, which is located next to the club’s regular home — BMO Stadium — in L.A.’s Exposition Park.
Lionel Messi and Inter Miami enter the 2026 season as reigning league champions, having won the club’s first MLS Cup over the Vancouver Whitecaps. LAFC — which features South Korean soccer icon Son Heung-min and 2023 MLS Golden Boot winner Denis Bouanga — are a heavy favorite to reach MLS Cup this season. Both squads also feature high-profile newcomers. Both squads made big offseason acquisitions: While Inter Miami signed goal-scoring threat Germán Berterame, LAFC picked up midfielder Stephen Eustáquio on loan.
USA TODAY Sports will provide updates and highlights for the LAFC-Inter Miami match:
How to watch LAFC vs Inter Miami
Date: Saturday, Feb. 21
Time: 9:30 p.m. ET
Streaming: Apple TV
Location: Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
Watch MLS games on Apple TV
Inter Miami starting 11: Lionel Messi, Germán Berterame in lineup
Two-time reigning league MVP Lionel Messi and high-priced newcomer Germán Berterame are in Inter Miami’s starting lineup for the showdown against LAFC at the Coliseum.
Dayne St. Clair, another big offseason acquisition for Miami, makes his debut with the team. St. Clair was MLS Goalkeeper of the Year last season with Minnesota United.
LAFC starting 11: Son Heung-Min anchors front line
LAFC is rolling out the same starting lineup that throttled Real España of Honduras, 6-1, in Concacaf Champions Cup play on Feb. 17.
In that match, Denis Bouanga had a hat trick, and Son Heung-Min scored on a penalty kick and had three assists. Son and Bouanga will need to be very active if LAFC looks to knock off the reigning league champions.
Lionel Messi injury update: Reigning two-time MVP to play vs. LAFC
Lionel Messi picked up a hamstring injury during the preseason, forcing the postponement of an Inter Miami friendly match in Puerto Rico.
On Friday, Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano confirmed Messi’s availability for the 2026 MLS season opener in Los Angeles.
‘Messi is good. He trained the whole week with the group and had a very good feeling,’ Mascherano said. ‘He comes in well, ready just like the rest of the team.’
Inter Miami posted a photo of Messi training inside BMO Stadium, home of LAFC.
Why is Inter Miami vs LAFC being played at the LA Coliseum?
The presence of Lionel Messi has made away matches for Inter Miami a hot ticket wherever the club travels. LAFC also has shown it can attract a huge crowd. Saturday’s LAFC-Inter Miami game could be one of the highest-attended standalone matches in the league’s history.
An LAFC match against El Tráfico rival LA Galaxy drew an MLS-record crowd of 82,110 at the Rose Bowl on July 4, 2023. On the Fourth of July the following year, LAFC defeated the LA Galaxy in front of 70,076 fans.
On April 13, 2024, Inter Miami’s visit to play Sporting Kansas City drew 72,610 fans to Arrowhead Stadium, home of the NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs. That represents the third-highest attended standalone match in league history. Per ESPN, Messi also helped draw crowds of 60,000-plus for six matches and another six matches at 50,000-plus in attendance.
The LA Coliseum and soccer
Built in 1923, the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum will become the first stadium to host three Summer Olympics when the city hosts the 2028 Games. It was also the centerpiece venue for the 1932 and 1984 Olympics.
The Coliseum serves as the regular home for the USC Trojans football team, but has also been the home to the NFL’s Los Angeles Rams (1946-1979 and 2016-2019) and Raiders (1982-1994). The Coliseum also hosted Super Bowl I — then referred to as the first AFL–NFL World Championship Game — as well as Super Bowl VII, which was won by the Miami Dolphins to complete their undefeated 1972 season.
The UCLA Bruins football team played at the Coliseum for more than five decades (1928-1981), including when Hall of Fame baseball player Jackie Robinson was star football and track and field athlete for UCLA, with games and meets taking place at the iconic venue.
On top of hosting international soccer matches and friendlies through the years, the Coliseum was briefly the home stadium for the Los Angeles Aztecs of the original NASL.
MLS is Back opening weekend games
(All games on Apple TV)
Saturday, Feb. 21
St. Louis City SC 1, Charlotte FC 1
FC Cincinnati 2, Atlanta United 0
D.C. United vs. Philadelphia Union, 7:30 p.m. ET
Orlando City SC vs. New York Red Bulls, 7:30 p.m. ET
Vancouver Whitecaps vs. Real Salt Lake, 7:30 p.m. ET
Austin FC vs. Minnesota United, 8:30 p.m. ET
FC Dallas vs. Toronto FC, 8:30 p.m. ET
Houston Dynamo vs. Chicago Fire, 8:30 p.m. ET
Nashville SC vs. New England Revolution, 8:30 p.m. ET
Los Angeles FC vs. Inter Miami (at L.A. Memorial Coliseum), 9:30 p.m. ET
Portland Timbers vs. Columbus Crew, 10:30 p.m. ET
San Diego FC vs. CF Montreal, 10:30 p.m. ET
San Jose Earthquakes vs. Sporting Kansas City, 10:30 p.m. ET
Sunday, Feb. 22
LA Galaxy vs. New York City FC, 7 p.m. ET
Seattle Sounders vs. Colorado Rapids, 9:15 p.m. ET (FS1)
MLS 2026 season predictions
Can Lionel Messi lead Inter Miami to consecutive league championships, thus becoming the first repeat MLS Cup winner since the Los Angeles Galaxy did it in 2011-12? Which teams are the top contenders to displace Miami’s station atop the league? Who will win league MVP honors? Which player will score the most goals and claim the Golden Boot?
MLS championship odds
According to BetMGM, Inter Miami and Los Angeles FC are the favorites to win the 2026 league championship:
Inter Miami: +400
Los Angeles FC: +600
San Diego FC: +900
Vancouver Whitecaps: +900
Philadelphia Union: +1400
FC Cincinnati: +1400
New York City FC: +1800
LA Galaxy: +1800
Seattle Sounders: +1800
Columbus Crew: +1800
Which MLS clubs are in Concacaf Champions Cup?
Both Inter Miami and Los Angeles FC are among the nine MLS teams taking part in this year’s edition of the Concacaf Champions Cup, the top club competition for North, Central America, and the Caribbean.
While Inter Miami (along with the Seattle Sounders) earned byes into the Round of 16, LAFC already played its first game, earning a resounding 6-1 win over Real España of Honduras on Feb. 17. LAFC — a two-time runner-up in the competition (2020 and 2023) — hosts Leg 2 at BMO Stadium on Feb. 24.