The season-opening bout between Inter Miami CF and LAFC at Banc of California Stadium on Sunday (5:30 pm ET | ESPN, ESPN Deportes, MLS LIVE on DAZN in Canada) is a sexy matchup for a lot of reasons.
On one side, you've got an LAFC team coming off arguably the most dominant single season in MLS history — a torrid 2019 campaign that saw them cruise to the Supporters' Shield while racking up 72 points and post a ridiculous +48 goal-differential (both league records) while also boasting the league's MVP in Carlos Vela.
On the other, you've got Inter Miami playing their first-ever MLS match, a long-awaited culmination of an expansion project years in the making, with a roster that looks set to have them competitive from the jump, including a Mexican star of their own in Rodolfo Pizarro.
All of that makes it arguably the most anticipated fixture of the league's opening weekend, and it's reflected in the numbers.
According to a Thursday story in the Miami Herald, tickets for the match are re-selling for an average price of $149 — the highest number for an MLS opener since SeatGeek started tracking the secondary market in 2010. The next-closest total for this year's opening weekend is Nashville SC's MLS debut against Atlanta United on Saturday at $84.
If you needed any more evidence as to the hype surrounding this one, that's as good as any. Now, to see how it actually plays out on the field.
