The Lionel Messi effect was on full display Saturday evening, helping draw 72,610 fans to Arrowhead Stadium for Inter Miami CF's 3-2 victory over Sporting Kansas City – the fourth-largest standalone crowd in MLS history.
Attendance | Date | Venue | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|
82,110 | LA vs. LAFC - July 4, 2023 | Rose Bowl | Regular season |
74,479 | Charlotte vs. LA - March 5, 2022 | Bank of America Stadium | Regular season |
73,019 | Atlanta vs. Portland - Dec. 8, 2018 | Mercedes-Benz Stadium | MLS Cup 2018 |
72,610 | Kansas City vs. Miami - April 13, 2024 | Arrowhead Stadium | Regular season |
72,548 | Atlanta vs. LA - Aug. 3, 2019 | Mercedes-Benz Stadium | Regular season |
The league record for single-game attendance? That was established last year, when 82,110 fans attended the LA Galaxy's July 4th win over El Tráfico rivals LAFC at the Rose Bowl.
True to form, Messi more than lived up to his superstar billing on Matchday 9.
The Argentine legend first assisted Diego Gómez's equalizer that canceled out Erik Thommy's opener, before giving the Herons the 2-1 lead with a 51st-minute stunner. Luis Suárez added the second-half winner, ending Inter Miami's five-game winless streak across all competitions.
Saturday's contest established Sporting KC's new club attendance record, topping the previous mark of 52,424. That was set at Arrowhead Stadium in a friendly against Premier League side Manchester United on July 25, 2010.
The cross-conference match also made Missouri soccer history, smashing the state's previous soccer attendance record of 54,184 from a Real Madrid-Inter Milan international club friendly in 2013.
Arrowhead Stadium is home to reigning NFL Super Bowl champions Kansas City Chiefs. Sporting KC typically play home matches at Children's Mercy Park, their soccer-specific venue, but moved this Matchday 9 fixture in anticipation of Messi's arrival.
