‘An ideal stage’: Los Angeles banking on past lessons as it prepares to be World Cup starting point
With millions of eyes on the World Cup, Los Angeles is host to the first match in the US. CNA’s Matthew Mohan spoke to top officials about how it is preparing for the tournament.
A street intersection in downtown Los Angeles. (Photo: CNA/Matthew Mohan)
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LOS ANGELES, California: As Los Angeles prepares to be a launchpad of this year’s World Cup, the celebratory mood that comes with every tournament has yet to fully sink in.
Days out from the US’ opener with Paraguay on Friday (Jun 12), the main reminders of an impending World Cup are a couple of billboards on the freeway, pop-up stores and a smattering of people wearing jerseys on the streets.
But there are many plans in the works, said those who spoke to CNA, and the city is ready for the world’s biggest football tournament.
Hundreds of thousands of people are set to descend on Los Angeles, with eight matches taking place at the SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, a city within LA County.
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This is not the first time the World Cup has come to California. At the 1994 World Cup, the Rose Bowl in Pasadena hosted eight matches, including the tournament final, which drew almost 95,000 spectators.
That tournament is remembered fondly by many to this day, and it still holds the record for the highest average attendance at any World Cup.
Fast forward 32 years, and an expanded tournament returns stateside.
“UNMATCHED” CONCENTRATION OF EVENTS
CEO of the Los Angeles World Cup 2026 host committee Kathryn Schloessman told CNA how the city will serve as the “starting point” for fans from around the world to kick off their World Cup journey.
“Los Angeles is uniquely positioned to host the FIFA World Cup thanks to its world-class infrastructure investments, including the modernisation of LAX (Los Angeles International Airport), Metro expansion, and new sports and entertainment venues, combined with its global connectivity, diverse communities, and unmatched cultural experiences,” she said.
“Combined with its diverse communities, passionate soccer culture, and international connectivity, Los Angeles provides an ideal stage to showcase the excitement and global spirit of the tournament.”
This edition of the World Cup will be hosted in the US, Canada and Mexico.
She added that the region is entering an “unprecedented era of marquee sporting events”, with the World Cup followed by the 2027 Super Bowl and the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
“This concentration of global events is unmatched by any other destination,” said Ms Schloessman.
Much has changed in Inglewood since the last World Cup, mayor James Butts told CNA.
“Inglewood has transformed from being known as a city for gangs and violence and low income to one of the most upscale cities in the United States of America,” he said.
The city is now the “sports entertainment capital” of at least the western US, and the World Cup is the pinnacle of that transformation, he added.
Nothing marks this change more than the SoFi stadium, which is home to two NFL teams – the Los Angeles Rams and the Los Angeles Chargers, and reportedly cost a whopping US$5.5 billion to build.
Renamed Los Angeles Stadium for the duration of the World Cup due to sponsor and branding regulations, it will host the US and Paraguay, and seven other matches.
A stone’s throw away is the Intuit Dome, a US$2 billion arena that is home to the NBA team LA Clippers.
Hosting major sporting events is something Inglewood is used to, said Mr Butts.
“We’ve had a Super Bowl (in 2022), going to have another one next February. We’ve had the NBA All-Star weekend, but this is relatively unique because of all the fan experiences that are going to be generated,” he added.
“Other countries are going to bring thousands of people that won’t even attend the match, but will be in the vicinity to support their team. So this will be a one-of-a-kind event, and we’re looking forward to it.”
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LA Metro), which is the primary public transportation provider for Los Angeles County, has honed its service ability based on past experiences, LA Metro chief operating officer Conan Cheung told CNA.
This includes Taylor Swift’s six shows at the SoFi Stadium in 2023, the yearly Rose Bowl and Rose Parade, as well as regular Major League Baseball and NFL games.
“They gave us a great opportunity to understand where we need to improve, and also to test out new strategies and methods and tools,” Mr Cheung said.
Unlike many other cities in the US, which have been in the headlines for expensive transport offerings, it is quite the opposite in LA.
Public transport fares will remain at their normal rate of US$1.75, with the LA Metro working with regional transit partners to increase services.
Apart from park-and-ride options, commuters can take the Metro bus, rail, or regional transport to a direct service pick-up location, where they can then board buses to the stadium.
These buses will generally run every 10 minutes, with one free transfer included if transferring from LA Metro bus or rail.
Mr Cheung said keeping things accessible and affordable was critical. “We want to make sure that everyone has the opportunity to go and experience the games,” he added.
LA Metro will utilise about 300 additional buses to provide these services, about a 15 per cent increase from their normal fleet of 2,000, and also ramp up their staffing on the ground.
“We know that a lot of times people will come out because they just want to experience the World Cup even though they may not have tickets, so we need to make sure we accommodate all those additional people,” said Mr Cheung.
“At the same time, we need to make sure that we continue to provide quality service for our regular riders trying to go to work or school or whatnot.”
Speaking to CNA, Dr Joshua Schank, a senior fellow at the UCLA Institute of Transportation Studies, said that big US cities are often “more prepared than you think they are” when it comes to the transport aspect of large-scale events.
“There’s a lot of capacity in our transport system here to handle an influx of a large number of people,” he said. “People in LA are used to planning their lives around big events, and around traffic in general, so I think the city can adjust pretty well.”
However, he added that what could be a possible pain point for those who arrive in Los Angeles for the World Cup could be LAX.
“Compared to most major airports in the world, LAX has a very meagre transit network, so public transit options are very limited,” said Dr Schank.
“The challenge for people with LAX is that it’s just incredibly overwhelming.”
NOT WITHOUT ISSUE
Security is expected to be beefed up for the tournament throughout the US, and the same will be the case in Los Angeles.
Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan Hochman said previously the security effort would bring an unusually large law enforcement presence to the region.
“Between the dates of Jun 11, all the way through Jul 19, if you are a criminal, this is a terrible time to commit a crime,” he said.
Officials also warned that drones would be subject to strict enforcement around World Cup venues, with temporary flight restrictions expected around facilities.
In the lead-up to the tournament, Los Angeles has faced some issues as well.
For one, a local union representing more than 2,000 SoFi Stadium workers, including cashiers, cooks, and concessions workers, had initially voted to authorise a strike one week before the US’ opening game.
The union said in a press release that they wanted “pay that reflects the true cost of living in Los Angeles”, and cited concerns over possible civil immigration enforcement.
It was announced on Tuesday that the union and stadium operators had reached a tentative deal.
There is also the problem of exorbitant ticket prices, which have plagued the World Cup.
As of Tuesday, tickets for the match are still available on FIFA’s resale portal, along with third-party resale sites. However, the lowest of which will set one back at least US$800.
“I’m sure the people that are fans of football will be there,” said Mr Butts.
“It depends on your love of the sport. If that were the case, we would never have any Inglewood people at Super Bowl matches. There are lots of Inglewood people at Super Bowl matches, lots of people go to the Intuit Dome. We find that people will spend money on entertainment and food, if they don’t spend it on anything else.”
Organisers also plan to take the tournament to the masses, with a ticketed fan festival at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, along with 26 fan zones across locations around the greater Los Angeles region.
“Our goal was to create opportunities for fans through affordable, community-centred celebrations that bring the excitement, culture, and global spirit of the tournament directly to neighbourhoods across the region,” said Ms Schloessman.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass also previously announced that the city will host more than 100 World Cup watch parties across LA at recreation and parks facilities.
Come Friday, Inglewood plans to turn one of its main thoroughfares into a street festival.
“We’re an international host now, we’re an international city. That’s an (enormously proud) experience for all of us, including myself. And we’re hosting countries from all over the world and that is very special to us,” said Mr Butts.
“People are fired up, they’re exuberant.”
Dr Schank added: “When the whole world is watching, LA does tend to step up to the plate and make sure these events run smoothly.”
In the shadow of the SoFi Stadium, my first introduction to the World Cup in the US was a snaking line on Monday that barely seemed to move.
It was here in a temporary container where those accredited for the tournament collected their passes.
Bleary-eyed after an 18-hour flight from Singapore and functioning on no sleep, I joined the queue. As I inch towards the front of the line, a man exclaimed loudly: “We made it!”
The hope is that in just over a month’s time, Los Angeles will be saying the same.
Subscribe to the FIFA World Cup 2026™ and catch all 104 matches live on mewatch. Visit mewatch.sg/fifaworldcup for more details.
Source: CNA/mt(mi)
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