The final score is Los Angeles 3-0 Inter Miami CF. Bouanga decides the game with 1 goal and 1 assist. Messi performs poorly as he lost ball possession 23 times. 

2026 Major League Soccer

3-0

Match Report:

Lionel Messi and Inter Miami got off to a rough start in their MLS Cup title defense when David Martínez, Denis Bouanga and Nathan Ordaz scored in Los Angeles FC's 3-0 victory Saturday night.

Son Heung-min set up Martínez's opening goal for LAFC, which emphasized its status as a primary threat to Miami's crown during a lively MLS season opener between two of the league's marquee clubs.

The matchup drew 75,673 fans -- the second-largest crowd in MLS history -- to the historic Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, which is next-door to LAFC's home BMO Stadium.

"This game would have sold out five times at BMO, but we wanted to do something special," MLS Commissioner Don Garber said. "This is a seminal year in the history of our sport and a big moment in the history of our league, so why not go into this historic stadium, bring Miami here, our champion, and have them play against LAFC?"

The huge crowd got an entertaining match and a good look at Messi, who played despite dealing with a strained hamstring this month. His every move was greeted with cheers and boos by the California fans.

The superstar is still working out his dynamic with his new teammates, however: The Herons lost Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba to retirement and added forward Germán Berterame and elite MLS goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair, whose positioning mistake greatly simplified Bouanga's goal.

LAFC won for head coach Marc Dos Santos in his MLS debut as the third head coach in club history. The former Vancouver head coach and longtime LAFC assistant led his team to a 6-1 win over Real España earlier this week in its CONCACAF Champions Cup opener in Honduras.

LAFC went ahead in the 38th minute when Son controlled the ball in traffic and slotted a perfect pass to Martínez, who found the far bottom corner in stride. The 20-year-old Martínez has started his MLS career slowly, but LAFC remains confident the Venezuelan forward will be a star.

Bouanga had a hat trick in CONCACAF Champions Cup play earlier this week, and he added his first MLS goal of the season in the 73rd minute. The Frenchman, who finished second to Messi in the Golden Boot race last season, converted a long pass from Timothy Tillman, adroitly heading it over the charging St. Clair before banging it home.

LAFC added a third goal in second-half injury time when Ordaz converted a centering pass from Bouanga.

LAFC improved to 4-2-0 against Miami in the clubs' history. LAFC also remained unbeaten in its season openers, improving to 9-0-0.

Match Events

0' The match is about to start!


3' Highlight from Los Angeles vs Inter Miami CF


6' Match Event for Los Angeles vs Inter Miami CF


14' Match Event for Los Angeles vs Inter Miami CF


31' Match Event for Los Angeles vs Inter Miami CF


37' GOAL! Los Angeles 1-0 Inter Miami CF (David Martínez)



50' Match Event for Los Angeles vs Inter Miami CF


51' Match Event for Los Angeles vs Inter Miami CF

53' Match Event for Los Angeles vs Inter Miami CF


63' Match Event for Los Angeles vs Inter Miami CF


73' GOAL! Los Angeles 2-0 Inter Miami CF (Denis Bouanga)



88' Highlight from Los Angeles vs Inter Miami CF


94' GOAL! Los Angeles 3-0 Inter Miami CF (Nathan Ordaz)



Line-ups

Los Angeles XI: Lloris, Son, Mark Delgado, Eddie Segura, Sergi Palencia, Denis Bouanga, Stephen Eustaquio, Timothy Tillman, Ryan Porteous, Nkosi Tafari, David Martínez

Subs: Tyler Boyd, Ryan Hollingshead, Kenny Nielsen, Thomas Hasal, Mathieu Choinière, Ryan Raposo, Nathan Ordaz, Artem Smolyakov, Amin Boudri

Inter Miami CF XI: Messi, De Paul, Germán Berterame, Maximiliano Falcón, Dayne St. Clair, Telasco Segovia, Micael, Ian Fray, Noah Allen, Yannick Bright, Mateo Silvetti

Subs: Suarez, Rocco Ríos Novo, Facundo Mura, David Ayala, Tadeo Allende, Gonzalo Luján, David Ruíz, Santiago Morales, Dániel Pintér