The Messi Effect Continues: Inter Miami Breaks MLS Attendance Records
Inter Miami continues to make waves on and off the field. Lionel Messi's team featured in the biggest crowds of the 2026 MLS season.
Major League Soccer (MLS) announced its attendance figures for the 2026 regular season, highlighting another historic year for the league and the significant impact of Inter Miami CF in attracting fans across the country. Notably, Inter Miami featured in eight of the 10 highest-attended matches of the regular season, further demonstrating the club's growing reach and popularity.
Two Matches Among the Top Three Crowds
The club also recorded two of the three largest single-match crowds in MLS history this season. The April 18 match against the Colorado Rapids at Empower Field at Mile High drew 75,824 fans, ranking second all-time, while the February 21 match against LAFC at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum attracted 75,673 spectators, ranking third.
The only match to surpass those figures was the July 4, 2023, meeting between LA Galaxy and LAFC at the Rose Bowl, which drew 82,110 fans. Additionally, Inter Miami's visit to D.C. United on March 7 attracted 72,026 spectators, ranking ninth in MLS history.
Lionel Messi Fuels the Phenomenon
These milestones reflect the continued growth of the club's fan base and the excitement it generates nationwide, led by captain Lionel Messi. Inter Miami's presence has helped produce historic crowds and establish new single-match attendance records in multiple markets across the league.
In recent years, Inter Miami matches have contributed to record attendance figures in cities including Chicago, Toronto, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, and Seattle, among other markets. The matchup against LAFC also set the record for the highest-attended match in MLS opening weekend history.
A Historic Season for MLS
The club's impact comes during a historic period for MLS, which welcomed 11,251,962 fans throughout the 2026 regular season, averaging 22,063 spectators per match. The 2024 through 2026 seasons now represent the three highest-attended regular seasons in league history, with MLS surpassing 11.2 million fans for the third consecutive year.
The Numbers Behind the 2026 Season
- 8 of 10: Inter Miami featured in eight of the 10 highest-attended matches of the regular season.
- 75,824 spectators: The visit to the Colorado Rapids recorded the second-largest standalone crowd in MLS history.
- 11.2 million: The league surpassed that attendance mark for the third consecutive season.
