Inter Miami Vs Lafc: Bouanga and Son outshine Messi in 3-0 season opener at the Coliseum
In a marquee Matchday 1 clash that felt built for spectacle, inter miami vs lafc ended with LAFC handing reigning MLS Cup champions Inter Miami a 3-0 defeat in front of 75, 673 fans at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
Black & Gold dominate in front of a record crowd
LAFC handled Lionel Messi and the Herons en route to a 3-0 win on Saturday night, the club said, delivering the result in front of a historic crowd of 75, 673 — the second-highest attended MLS match ever — inside the 100-year-old concrete Coliseum. David Martínez opened the scoring in the 38th minute, Son Heung-min provided the assist on that opener, and Denis Bouanga and Nathan Ordaz added the second and third goals to complete the rout.
Goals and key moments that decided the match
Martínez finished the move Son created in the 38th minute to give LAFC the lead. Bouanga doubled the advantage in the 73rd minute; match accounts described that goal variously as a dink over 2025 MLS Goalkeeper of the Year Dayne St. Clair that rolled into the empty net and as a finish set up by a Timothy Tillman 50-yard pass that Bouanga headed over St. Clair. Nathan Ordaz then pounded in a stoppage-time dagger to seal the 3-0 scoreline.
Inter Miami possession but little threat
The Herons kept 68 percent possession on Saturday but created only one big chance, and their new designated-player striker Germán Berterame was largely held quiet. Messi drew constant attention from the crowd and opponents alike, but he did not manage a single shot on target in the match.
Coaching voices and debut performances
Marc Dos Santos, in his first game as LAFC head coach, praised the result and the group effort: “It’s good to win like this and still have so much margin to progress. Now we want to play and build the team. ” He also pointed to the team’s recent schedule and resilience: “A very positive thing is we played Tuesday in Honduras. We flew a very long flight, we had one day of training, and we were able to suffer as a team. That quality of being able to suffer as a team together is an important quality for a team. ”
Dos Santos added a tactical assessment after the game: “When we prepared for the game, we prepared to face the best Messi possible. I think that part of our game today, 'A+. ' The part of possession, ‘B’, we can be much better, and we want to be much better. But our guys were a team, suffered together, were smart dealing with a lot of plays, and that’s important going forward. ” He also said, “[Inter Miami] put us [under] a lot of pressure, but we defended really well. I don’t think we conceded big chances. There were these half-chances, but overall … I think that part of our game today, A+. ”
Canadian international Stephen Eustáquio made a long-awaited MLS debut as a holding midfielder and was central to LAFC’s efforts on the night. Postmatch, Denis Bouanga reflected on Martínez’s role: “We need to push [Martínez] in the field because he has strong quality, but now he has a changed mentality, too. Last year is not the same to this year, and he knows. ”
Coliseum spectacle and the Messi effect
This was not a typical LAFC home opener; MLS moved the match out of BMO Stadium to the Coliseum to contain the Messi effect. The venue — described as a 100-year-old concrete monster — drew more than 75, 000 fans, with cameras everywhere and plenty of pink shirts, though fewer than expected. Son Heung-min’s supporters were prominent and celebrated Son’s assist on the opener.
What the win means now
LAFC’s three goals produced three points and a statement start to the 2026 MLS season. The club’s earlier form this week was strong as well: Martínez and Bouanga also scored in LAFC’s 6-1 win at Real España in the 2026 Concacaf Champions Cup Round One opener earlier in the week. Miami’s last official competitive action before this match had been their run through the Audi 2025 MLS Cup Playoffs, when they scored 20 times in six games to win the Philip F. Anschutz Trophy.
It is unclear in the provided context what LAFC’s next scheduled match or Inter Miami’s next fixture will be.
