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LAFC's Son picks up assist in 3-0 win over Messi's Inter Miami

Published: 22 Feb. 2026, 20:17

Los Angeles FC forward Son Heung-Min dribbles against Inter Miami defender Ian Fray during the first half of an MLS match in Los Angeles on Feb. 21. [AP/YONHAP]

Los Angeles FC forward Son Heung-min registered an assist in a 3-0 win over Lionel Messi's Inter Miami on Saturday, kicking off the 2026 MLS season with a strong performance.

Son slipped a pass into the path of David Martinez in the 38th minute of the two sides' first league match of the season at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles. The Venezuelan midfielder converted that with a left-footed finish.

Denis Bouanga doubled the lead in the 73rd minute, heading the ball past goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair before sending it into the empty net. Nathan Ordaz added one more in the 94th minute for a perfect 3-0 victory.

Son saw LAFC's last goal off the pitch, as he was substituted off in the 89th minute.

Saturday's assist marks the 33-year-old's second straight goal contribution after LAFC's Concacaf Champions Cup game against Real Espana on Wednesday, during which he racked up one goal and three assists.

Saturday's MLS fixture was the third time Son played against Messi in his career. The two players first faced each other twice during the 2018-19 Champions League group run, when Son played for Tottenham Hotspur and Messi was at FC Barcelona.

Inter Miami forward Lionel Messi, left, dribbles the ball during an MLS match against Los Angeles FC in Los Angeles on Feb. 21. [AP/YONHAP]

With the two high-profile players involved, Saturday's fixture drew a total of 75,673 fans at the 77,000-seat Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. LAFC moved from their usual home ground 22,000-seat BMO Stadium to the bigger stadium in anticipation of higher demand for the match.

Messi picked up a left hamstring injury in a preseason friendly earlier this month, but still played the full 90 minutes on Saturday.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY PIH JU-YOUNG [[email protected]]