A historic MLS opening weekend is in the books with several notable storylines emerging from Matchday 1 action.
MLS Kicks Off Season with Record Attendance
Opening weekend showed that MLS is Back – and with historic momentum. An MLS-record 387,271 fans attended matches on Saturday and Sunday, making it the highest attended weekend in league history. With an average of 25,818 fans per match, opening weekend attendance increased five percent over 2025 and 17 percent compared to last year’s regular season average.
The weekend was highlighted by a historic crowd of 75,673 for LAFC vs. Inter Miami CF at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. The match set a new MLS opening weekend attendance record, ranked as the highest-attended global soccer match over the weekend, and stands as the second-largest single-game crowd in MLS history.
With the eyes of the soccer world turning to North America in 2026, MLS is demonstrating it’s ready for the world spotlight.
Young Red Bulls Off and Running
The future arrived early for Red Bull New York on opening weekend as teenagers Julian Hall (17), Adri Mehmeti (16), and Matthew Dos Santos (17) led the charge in head coach Michael Bradley’s debut win.
Success is nothing new for this group. In 2023, they celebrated an MLS NEXT Cup championship at Toyota Stadium in Dallas. Two years later, in the fall of 2025, Mehmeti and Dos Santos lifted the MLS NEXT Pro Cup with Red Bull New York II.
Now, under the guidance of Michael Bradley, who was also their former MLS NEXT Pro head coach, the Red Bulls are must-watch TV for fans eager to catch a glimpse of the league’s next wave of Homegrown talent.
Next up, Hall, Mehmeti, and Dos Santos return to Sports Illustrated Stadium for New York’s home opener this Saturday against the New England Revolution (2:30 p.m. ET).
MLS NEXT Pro’s Fifth Season Kicks Off Friday
The 2026 MLS NEXT Pro season commences this Friday, February 27th, featuring the addition of its 30th club, CT United FC. Led by head coach Shavar Thomas and Sporting Director Denis Hamlett, CT United FC joins Carolina Core FC and Chattanooga FC as the League’s third independent club. All 30 clubs will take the field during opening weekend, including defending champions Red Bull New York II, under new head coach Dominik Wohlert.
This season will provide opportunities for more players to join the 235+ with MLS NEXT Pro experience that have signed MLS first team contracts - including 2025 MLS NEXT Pro Cup winner Nehuén Benedetti (RBNY), U.S. U-17 Youth National Team standout Chase Adams (CLB) and 2025 MLS NEXT Pro Golden Boot winner Jason Shokalook (CHI).
READ: 2026 MLS NEXT PRO SCHEDULE RELEASE | WATCH: 2026 SIZZLE REEL
Orlando City Holding Steady at Home Against Miami
Going on the road in MLS is never easy, but when it’s against a rival, the difficulty goes up another level. That has been the case for Inter Miami CF, which travels to face Orlando City SC on Sunday Night Soccer presented by Continental Tire, having never won at Inter&Co Stadium in nine tries across all competitions.
After stumbling on Matchday 1, Orlando City and its stable of young up-and-coming talent will look to reestablish its home dominance against the reigning MLS Cup presented by Audi champions on Sunday evening (7 p.m. ET).
Quick Hits From Matchday 1
- Four MLS debutantes bagged a goal on Matchday 1, with Houston’s newest Designated Player Guilherme the only one to record a brace.
- Timbers midfielder Diego Chara became the first player in MLS history to play 16 seasons for one club and also hit 400 career starts for Portland (Watch Here).
- Eighteen-year-old Bryan Zamblé found the net in San Diego FC’s 5-0 win, becoming the first Right to Dream graduate to score for the club and he celebrate the milestone accordingly with the home supporters (Watch Here).
- LA Galaxy’s new striker João Klauss got off and running on Sunday night with a goal on his club debut after just 86 seconds of action (Watch Here).
