Lafc Vs Inter Miami — LAFC overwhelm reigning champions 3-0 in season opener
lafc vs inter miami ended in a 3-0 rout at the LA Memorial Coliseum, where Los Angeles FC dominated the season opener in front of an MLS-record opening day crowd of 75, 673. The result left Inter Miami — who entered the year as reigning MLS champions — chasing answers after a one-sided display.
LAFC dominated on opening night at the Coliseum
Los Angeles put three goals past Inter Miami and relied on the partnership between Son Heung-Min and Denis Bouanga to break the visitors down. Bouanga produced a goal and an assist in the second half to seal the win. The home side finished the opening 45 minutes with 11 shots, three on target, while Miami mustered three attempts with one on target. Miami held 58. 7 percent possession in the first half, but LAFC generated the bulk of the chances and punished Miami in transition.
Lafc Vs Inter Miami: key moments and who made them
Son Heung-Min nearly opened the scoring inside six minutes but was denied by Inter Miami goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair after taking one touch too many. Thirty minutes later Son pressured Rodrigo De Paul, forced a turnover and slipped a through ball to 20-year-old David Martinez, who cut into the box and finished past St. Clair. Martinez nearly doubled the lead before the break when his one-on-one effort drifted wide of the left post.
Bouanga and Tillman put the game out of reach
Inter Miami produced an aggressive opening 10 minutes after halftime, but LAFC's midfield responded. Timmy Tillman sparked a counterattack that found Bouanga, who doubled the lead. Later, after Son was substituted late in the second half, Bouanga threaded a pass to substitute Nathan Ordaz to pad the score to 3-0.
Messi was available after hamstring strain; Miami’s squad notes
Inter Miami head coach Javier Mascherano confirmed that Lionel Messi would be available to feature in the season opener against Los Angeles FC on Saturday night and said, "Messi is fine; he's been training at the same level as the rest of the team all week. " Messi had suffered a muscle strain in his left hamstring during the preseason friendly against Barcelona SC on February 7; he started that match but left the pitch in the 58th minute to watch from the sidelines.
Mascherano also said all players who traveled with the team to California would be available for selection, calling out newly signed Designated Player Germán Berterame and now-permanent Inter Miami figure Tadeo Allende. Inter Miami has returned Messi to training with the rest of the squad since the strain.
Context, carryover competitions and a rescheduled friendly
Inter Miami entered 2026 as the reigning MLS champions, having lifted the 2025 MLS Cup by defeating the Vancouver Whitecaps. The club will compete in the Concacaf Champions Cup, Leagues Cup and Campeones Cup in addition to the MLS regular season. Inter Miami rescheduled its final preseason friendly against Independiente del Valle in Puerto Rico to Feb. 26, moved from the original Feb. 13 date.
Ratings snippets and other fragments from the match coverage
Match coverage flagged several individual contributions: Lloris made three saves and was described as steady and composed, keeping the defense organized and tidy with his passing. Other player notes in the coverage included a player who had five clearances; another who led the match with eight defensive contributions and had a steady partnership with Tafari in the back; and a comment that Delgado was the quietest of a strong midfield trio but made key defensive contributions. The context for some of these fragments is unclear in the provided context, as are the identities tied to each specific statistic.
One sidebar line in the match material reads, "You have reached 's UK edition. Stay on current site or go to US version. " Herculez Gomez and Mau Pedroza are split between Inter Miami and LAFC for the winners of the 2026 MLS Cup. (2: 12)
The next confirmed event for Inter Miami in the provided context is the rescheduled friendly in Puerto Rico on Feb. 26. There is also a broader confirmed slate showing the club will contest the Concacaf Champions Cup, Leagues Cup and Campeones Cup during the season.
