There was plenty of fútbol for everyone in L.A. last weekend thanks to both local Major League Soccer teams kicking off the 2026 season.
The season began early on Saturday at Exposition Park, with the Los Angeles Football Club ditching BMO Stadium for the day. The team played across the way at the historic Memorial Coliseum. LAFC, now led by Son Heung-min, took on some pibe named Lionel Messi (maybe you’ve heard of him?) and Inter Miami FC.
Christmas Tree Lane (thus named despite the obvious lack of Christmas trees) next to BMO Stadium was packed with an official fan zone that appears to grow larger every season and with the supporter groups from the 3252 partying as usual next to it. The 3252 later banded together and led a march from CTL and around the Coliseum, which left museum-goers at the California Science Center dumbfounded and prevented a packed tour bus from leaving on time.
The LA Galaxy, captained by Marco Reus, opened their season on Sunday with a match against New York City FC. While not as monumental as the Coliseum, Dignity Health Sports Park is plenty historic thanks to its status as the second soccer-specific stadium built by and for an MLS team (that dastardly Columbus Crew built the first, which they later abandoned for an upgrade).
The team’s history is also memorialized at the Legends Plaza where a statue of Galaxy/USMNT legend Cobi Jones will soon join that of fellow Galaxy/USMNT legend Landon Donovan and Galaxy/Manchester United/Real Madrid/England legend David Beckham.
Supporter group Angel City Brigade hosted a hardcore show with local bands Bastos, Cienfuegos, and Barrio Slam. Moshing, two-stepping, circle pits, and a stage dive ensued.
The parking lot was filled with fans tailgating, a near-endless vista of people grilling, drinking, and dancing from one end to the other. Beer aficionados also got to taste a lot of craft and independent beer . . . a lot of it.
So who won? That depends: would you rather be surrounded by drums, smoke, and fireworks with a fan zone and family safe space or surrounded by beers, bands, and grills in a vast parking lot?
We know who lost though: those poor souls trapped on the tour bus in Exposition Park.
All photos by Erwin Recinos.
