It looks like SoFi Stadium in the Los Angeles area will once again host matches at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The state-of-the-art stadium was previously chosen as one of 11 U.S. venues for the upcoming tournament.
However, a dispute between the sport’s governing body and Stan Kroenke appeared to derail these plans. Kroenke currently owns the Los Angeles Rams and SoFi Stadium, as well as Arsenal of the Premier League.
It was previously reported that FIFA would back out of its agreement with Kroenke due to a financial dispute. Apparently, the billionaire wasn’t happy with his end of the deal. In fact, Kroenke questioned the division of the money that will be distributed between FIFA, the city and SoFi Stadium.
Another point of contention between the two sides apparently has to do with which city will host the World Cup final. Kroenke wants the final at his home stadium, but AT&T Stadium in the Dallas area is the current favorite. As a result, there were suggestions that Kroenke could withdraw his stadium from the tournament entirely.
Mayor of Los Angeles confirms that the city has an agreement with FIFA
However, The Messenger journalist Rash Markazi now claims that FIFA and Kroenke have called a truce. The journalist took to social media on Friday night to declare that the Southern California stadium will host “highlight matches” of the prestigious competition.
“Los Angeles and SoFi Stadium remain host and host city for the 2026 World Cup,” Markazi on X. “There were talks about pulling out for a few months during negotiations, but the city and stadium are in. They may not reach the final (Dallas is the favorite) but they are expected to have outstanding games.”
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass also confirmed the news. “In fact, we just secured the World Cup in our region,” Bass said. “For a few months we weren’t exactly sure if we were going to get it, but we are. And that will happen very soon.”
SoFi Stadium to host World Cup matches despite reported glitches
Despite the news, there have been suggestions that SoFi Stadium has design flaws for football games. The stadium was built specifically to host National Football League games. Both the Rams and Los Angeles Chargers currently call the stadium their home.
ESPN reporter John Sutcliffe previously claimed that Kroenke Stadium would need some pretty major renovations to meet FIFA’s demands. This is despite the stadium opening in 2020, with a construction cost of between $5 billion and $6 billion.
However, SoFi Stadium has hosted major football games in recent years. The LA Galaxy and LAFC previously hosted a doubleheader at the stadium in 2022. Kroenke’s English club, Arsenal, faced Barcelona there early last summer in front of more than 70,000 fans. Brazil and Mexico will play Copa América matches at the stadium in June.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be expanded to include 48 teams in total from around the world. Previously, only 32 teams participated in iterations of the tournament. SoFi Stadium will be one of 16 total stadiums in North America to host competitive matches.
Photo credit: IMAGO/Icon Sportswire
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