MLS is getting ready for what is expected to be the most highly attended game that the league has ever seen, at least for a short period of time.
The 20th edition of the Los Angeles derby, nicknamed El Trafico, between Los Angeles Galaxy and Los Angeles Football Club is going to take place on Tuesday and they are expecting 80,000 fans to be at the Rose Bowl stadium.
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Pending official confirmation, that record would surpass the current MLS record, a mark held by the Charlotte vs Galaxy match of 2022, which had 74,749 fans.
The Rose Bowl, home of the Galaxy from 1996 to 2002, was the site of the 1994 World Cup final, in which Brazil beat Italy on penalties.
This new round of matches between Galaxy and LAFC should have been played on the opening day of this MLS season in February, but heavy and unseasonable rain in Los Angeles forced the match to be postponed.
However, the new date has special significance as the match will be played on July 4, Independence Day.
MLS awaits Messi's arrival
Whilst the LA derby is set to break the attendance record, it seems very plausible that Lionel Messi's pending arrival at Inter Miami will cause a bigger attendance somewhere down the line given so many fans would attend purely to see him.
Either way, both eventualities are a sign that MLS is a rapidly growing league.
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