The party agenda World Cup 2026 left mixed feelings for the organizing committee of Los Angeles. The city will host important meetings, including the presence of the selection of USA in two group stage games. However, powerhouses such as Brazil, Germany, France, England and champion Argentina will not cross further west than Dallas during the opening round, something that generated some disappointment among local organizers.
Still, Los Angeles receives a key benefit: its strategic location. Adam Burke, president and CEO of the city’s tourism and convention body, explained that “it would be great to have some of those top-level games, but the FIFA numbers are surprising in terms of the number of people who will come here and spend five to ten days in LA almost no matter who is playing, because we are the main gateway to the west,” he published Los Angeles Times.
Burke added that many fans will begin their World Cup experience in this city.
The parties and the impact on the city
He SoFi Stadium will host eight matches during the tournament, beginning with the United States’ debut against Paraguay on June 12. The American team will close its participation in the group on June 25, when it faces the winner of a European playoff between Slovakia, Kosovo, Türkiye and Romania.
Additionally, two Group G duels —Iran vs. New Zealand on June 15 and Iran vs. Belgium on the 21st—will also be played in Inglewood, as well as a Group B match between Swiss and the winner of another European playoff made up of Wales, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Italy and Norway.
Despite not having the most media teams on the planet, for Larry Freedman, co-president of LAFC and co-president of the organizing committee, the outlook is positive. “Anchored by the United States is wonderful. And there is a huge Persian community here, so it’s exciting,” he said. He also stated that he won’t waste time thinking about what could have been: “I’m not going to get caught up in the ‘if’s.’ It’s going to be great.”
The stadium will also host three knockout matches: two round of 32 matches —June 28 and July 2— and a quarterfinal on July 10. Among the possible teams that could appear in that phase are Mexico, South Korea, Canada, Spain, Austria and Algeria.
Burke also considered that the economic impact of the tournament could easily exceed initial estimates. “It’s a 39-day opportunity. Match days are huge, but the motto we use is ‘start your World Cup journey in Los Angeles’. Because of our air connectivity and accessibility, it works really well,” he explained.
Climate challenges and expectations for the summer of 2026
One of the challenges that the Los Angeles headquarters could face is the temperature. Five of the eight games at SoFi will be played at noon, which represents a risk because, although the stadium has a roof, it is not air-conditioned. A report by Football for the Future, Common Goal and Jupiter Intelligence warned that 10 of the tournament’s 16 venues are at “very high risk” of extreme heat conditions.
Even with these warnings, more than half of the 104 games are scheduled before 6 p.m.
Not everyone will suffer that. Four tournament stadiums are completely closed and air-conditionedwhich benefits teams such as Argentina, Spain, Portugal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Cape Verde, Uzbekistan, Canada and Japan.
With diverse teams, thousands of international visitors and a setting that promises high sporting emotions, Los Angeles is preparing to host a World Cup that, even without the European and South American giants in the first phase, outlines a profound impact on the region and a unique experience for fans.
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