The presence of Lionel Messi leading Inter Miami CF will add a touch of quality to the start of the 2026 Major League Soccer (MLS) season on the West Coast with their visit to the Memorial Coliseum Los Angeles Coliseum, on February 21.

This was revealed with the publication of the official schedule for the upcoming 2026 season, which will undoubtedly generate a lot of excitement, especially since the FIFA World Cup will be held in Mexico, the United States, and Canada midway through the competition.

It is already expected that the match will capture the attention of thousands of people who will gather at the legendary venue in the Californian city, with a capacity of over 70,000, who will surely not want to miss the presence of Argentine star Lionel Messi in what will be the last season before the format change starting in the summer of 2027.

Without a doubt, a high-level match for a unique season due to the break that will take place in the summer for the 2026 World Cup, lasting almost 50 days from May 25 to July 16, and which will surely have an impact on the performance of the players in their quest for the The long-awaited playoffs.

The 2026 season will also mark the historic date of being the last to be played under the winter-to-fall format, since starting in 2027, MLS decided to align its calendar with FIFA's in an effort to enhance the level of competition and thus be able to compete in the winter and summer international transfer windows.

Messi's presence on the West Coast of the United States will also provide an opportunity for a clash between South Korean Heung-min Son and Lionel Messi, a match that will undoubtedly be explosive as they try to secure the first three points during prime time on Sunday night sports in the United States.The 2026 season will also be the opportunity for the Florida Herons to debut their new stadium, and for that reason, they have scheduled the first five quality away matches to expedite the construction of their new home. The featured matches of the first week of the 2026 tournament: In addition to Inter Miami CF's visit to the Memorial Coliseum, the featured matches of the return to Major League Soccer will include St. Louis City hosting Charlotte FC, and Cincinnati hosting Atlanta United, who will have the return of [name missing] as their new manager. But without a doubt, the highlight will be the match between LAFC and Lionel Messi, along with his entire entourage of Inter Miami CF players, scheduled for 9:30 a.m. Pacific Time (7:30 p.m. Mexico City Time) on Saturday, February 21, 2026. The following day will feature a doubleheader, beginning with LA Galaxy hosting New York City FC on Sunday night, and also highlighting the Western Conference clash between Seattle Sounders FC and Colorado Rapids. The 2026 season will also have that nostalgic feel of abandoning the current league format, which runs from February to December. Starting in 2027, the season will run from September to May, approximately, in order to align its calendar with other European leagues.