Son Heung-min coming to MLS is expected to have the same effect Lionel Messi had when he first joined Inter Miami in 2023: sold-out tickets and a packed stadium to watch a famous star play against your team—and that’s exactly what the San Jose Earthquakes have in mind for the LAFC game.
The 32-year-old South Korean striker joined MLS after a 10-year tenure with Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League. Leaving the club like a legend, Son arrives at LAFC aiming to also become a reference for the players who come after him. The team, known for signing stars like Olivier Giroud, Hugo Lloris, Giorgio Chiellini, and Gareth Bale in recent years, is aiming for the postseason—but before that, there are still important games to play.
Facing the San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday, September 13, at Levi’s Stadium, the home team opened the upper deck, so more fans can attend and watch Son Heung-min up close. According to soccer journalist Favian Renkel, over 50,000 fans are expected, marking a record-breaking attendance.
The San Jose Earthquakes have opened the upper deck at Levi’s Stadium for their matchup versus Heung-Min Son and LAFC. The match is approaching San Jose’s all-time standalone attendance record of 50,850.
— Favian Renkel (@FavianRenkel) September 9, 2025
This will be a historic night for soccer in the Bay Area. #Quakes74 #MLS… pic.twitter.com/0dlW0AtFGb
With the match taking place in California, we could see many LAFC fans driving up north to watch their team play at Levi’s Stadium. On the Earthquakes’ side, fans will have no problem filling the stands.
With Son playing on Saturday, combined with both teams having a large Mexican-heritage fan base and the urgency for a win, the Quakes could fill most of Levi’s Stadium, which currently holds over 68,000 seats. If the team could sell out the game, it could be one of the biggest games of the season.
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