Bouanga & Son outshine Messi in HISTORIC clash of titans | OneFootball

By Alex Calabrese

MLS opening day, 75,673 fans at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, and the GOAT on the opposing side? That was LAFC's recipe for success on Saturday night.

The Black & Gold handled business in front of a historic crowd, dominating Lionel Messi and reigning MLS Cup presented by Audi champions Inter Miami CF en route to a 3-0 win.

“It’s good to win like this and still have so much margin to progress,” said Marc Dos Santos after securing the victory in his first game as LAFC head coach. 

“Now we want to play and build the team.”

Off and running

Saturday's dream start to the 2026 MLS season came courtesy of goals from David Martínez, Denis Bouanga and Nathan Ordaz. 

The first two also found the back of the net earlier in the week when LAFC cruised to a 6-1 win at Real España in their 2026 Concacaf Champions Cup Round One opener. 

“A very positive thing is we played Tuesday in Honduras,” Dos Santos said. “We flew a very long flight, we had one day of training, and we were able to suffer as a team.

"That quality of being able to suffer as a team together is an important quality for a team.”

A+ defense

The last time they saw official competition, Miami stormed through the Audi 2025 MLS Cup Playoffs, scoring 20 times in six games during a memorable run to the Philip F. Anschutz Trophy. 

The Herons kept 68 percent possession on Saturday, but produced only one big chance. New DP striker Germán Berterame was largely held quiet, and Messi didn’t manage a single shot on target.

“When we prepared for the game, we prepared to face the best Messi possible,” Dos Santos said of the reigning Landon Donovan MLS MVP. “I think that part of our game today, 'A+.' The part of possession, ‘B’, we can be much better, and we want to be much better.

"But our guys were a team, suffered together, were smart dealing with a lot of plays, and that’s important going forward.”

Bouanga leads the way

Canadian international Stephen Eustáquio, playing as a holding midfielder in his long-awaited MLS debut, was at the center of LAFC’s efforts. 

So was South Korean superstar Son Heung-Min, who provided the assist on Martínez's 38th-minute opener.

But it was Bouanga who turned an impressive win into a demolition job. The Gabon international forward scored a trademark goal to double the lead in the 73rd minute, dinking the ball over 2025 MLS Goalkeeper of the Year Dayne St. Clair and rolling it into the empty net, sending the record-breaking crowd into a frenzy.

Bouanga also added an assist on Ordaz's second-half stoppage time strike, opening 2026 with two goal contributions. 

"The atmosphere in the stadium was nice for the team,” Bouanga told reporters. “We know the fans are coming to support us. It’s good for my teammates and for me as we push in the season.”

WATCH: Denis Bouanga, LAFC torch Lionel Messi & Inter Miami