Son Heung-min was probably just joking with an old friend in a casual moment.

But if you’re someone who believes superstars of that magnitude never switch off and waste a word, it may have sounded like a statement of resolve.

LAFC’s Korean icon visited his beloved former club Tottenham Hotspur in December, just days after Lionel Messi led Inter Miami CF to victory in the 2025 MLS Cup, and spoke with Spurs friend Cristian Cuti Romero, Messi’s teammate on the Argentina national team.

“This year we let Messi win,” said the wise Son, “but next year… we’ll be on top.”

There’s an obvious truth underlying that friendly banter. Thanks to Son’s otherworldly talent, his dynamite attacking bromance with Dennis Bouanga, and the stout squad supporting them, LAFC are on the short list of MLS opponents who could legitimately harbor trophy ambitions on the same spectrum as Messi and his Herons in 2026.

That’s a big factor in the season opener at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Walmart Saturday Showdown is expected to draw a potentially record-breaking crowd of over 70,000 (9:30 p.m. ET). apple tv).

“Sonny is just a competitor and a guy who hits it off right away with the players in the locker room. He’s been part of the joke since day one,” LAFC defender Ryan Hollingshead told MLSsoccer.com shortly after Son arrived last August.

“He has a personality that wants to embrace the club and the DNA and everything LAFC is about. So I think you can see from the way he just took off from the first game that he’s playing at a very high level and understands our style of play at a high level.”

“He’s a handful for these defenders because he understands the league the way he already understands it, and I honestly don’t know who’s going to stop him.”

The core of the Black & Gold’s roster has reached five major finals in the past four seasons, winning two of them, and this time around, it will be a full season from Son, who posted 12g/4a in his first 13 MLS appearances last year. He has already had a prolific start to the year, scoring a hat-trick of goals and assists in Tuesday’s 6-1 win over Honduras’ Real Espana in the first leg of the Concacaf Champions Cup series.

It’s not just the atmosphere and the contribution to the goal, it’s also the little things like subtle details that make life easier for teammates, defensive positioning and smart touches that keep possession of the ball and reduce the pressure on the final line.

“His ability to manage the ball,” teammate Nkosi Tafari noted. “He’s really good underneath the pocket. Defensively he can actually take some of the pressure off of us because he has a great awareness of where he needs to be…He’s great in late-game situations.”

LAFC believes Sonny could be a turning point for an already strong team, an elite match-winner who can draw inspiration from those around him but also create excellence on his own.

“Aside from the obvious of Sonny’s popularity, the biggest difference I’ve seen is his ability within a group of players and staff and the positive impact he has,” Black & Gold co-president and general manager John Thorrington told reporters this month.

“His combination of humility and grace for a star at that level of popularity is unique in my opinion. I’m really excited to see the impact he’s had on the group, and to see us continue to grow, now, here, for a full season, and beyond.”

Messi’s impact on Miami has been comparable, but even more profound.

Until the arrival of the GOAT in the summer of 2023, IMCF had never won an Audi MLS Cup Playoffs game or scored a goal in one. Two-and-a-half years later, they are reigning league champions, have the Supporters’ Shield in their cabinet, won a League Cup tournament, reached the final in another and are widely chosen to add to their collection this season.

Many of these stars are friends of Messi and fans who were drawn to the unique opportunity to play alongside him.

“Leo is a very humble person with an incredible aura,” said Miami’s young central midfielder Yannick Bright. La Gazzetta dello Sport Last December.

“He is a leader on and off the pitch. Before every game, he knows how to find the right words to motivate us. He is an exemplary professional with great attention to detail. He is a quiet guy, but on the pitch he turns into an animal. At 38 years old, after a win, he doesn’t like to lose, even in practice. He has a great relationship with the whole team in the locker room.”

IMCF’s 3-1 victory over Vancouver Whitecaps FC in a tense MLS Cup final was a fitting snapshot of just how relentlessly effective the maestro is.

After rushing to both Audi’s 2025 MLS Golden Boot Award and the Landon Donovan MLS MVP Award with an incredible 29 goals and 19 assists during the regular season, Messi dug deep to get over the opponent’s line in a variety of ways, leading the Herons’ defensive press and creating the turnovers that led to Rodrigo de Paul’s winning goal.

Head coach Javier Mascherano said after the Spanish game, “He was great all season long, not only with his numbers, but also with his dedication to the team.” “Because he made a big effort the last two, three, four games while he was pressing without the ball. It showed us how important it was for him to win.”

“After all, that’s what Leo is capable of, right?” he added. “It wasn’t an easy game. Obviously Leo didn’t make a lot of contact, but he was decisive with the steal on the second goal and the importance of the putt.” [De Paul] One on one. He’s a player who doesn’t need to touch the ball that much, and that’s why he’s the best of all time. He is the one who brought us here and helped us achieve this. ”

In the coming weeks, IMCF will hold a ribbon cutting miami freedom parka brand new soccer-specific stadium that will be the centerpiece of a $1 billion mixed-use project near the city’s airport – and it’s no exaggeration to say it’s the house Leo built. It is no coincidence that La Rosa Negra (“Pink and Black”) is currently ranked among the top in the world. Annual MLS Club Evaluation Ranking by Forbes Magazine$1.35 billion.

“We’re seeing growth,” Mascherano said this week. “As I always say, Leo’s presence has contributed a lot to this and I think that’s important, no?

“I believe that our sporting success has also helped the club to be recognized in this way. The ambition of the club and the philosophy of the club is to grow every day and aim to get even better every day.”

From performance to recruitment, to increasing the performance level of his teammates, to raising the club’s profile to new heights, the revitalizing effect Messi has on the team, and by extension the organization as a whole, is clear.

By the way, who’s sitting in second place on Forbes’ list, just a little behind the Heron? LAFC, of ​​course. With the addition of Sony, the Black & Gold can legitimately aim to match or exceed Miami’s level in both on-field competitiveness and global recognition.

Saturday night looks like the perfect opportunity to make a statement.

“Certainly, what Miami is doing for the league is impressive,” Thorrington said. “The amount of money they’re spending, the players they’re able to get. I think it’s attractive, especially for Argentines and for players who want to play with Messi, who frankly many around the world agree is the greatest of all time. I definitely think they’re using that to their advantage. They’re about to open a new stadium and everything.”

“They’re taking advantage of those in terms of bringing people to L.A. to play with Sony and Hugo, just like we’re doing here.” [Lloris]Dennis and Carlos [Vela] “How we approach this building as a competitor is that no matter how high the hurdles are, we want to make sure we reach that goal and not only match it, but beat it,” he added.