2026 World Cup venues: Los Angeles
Known as SoFi Stadium when American football teams the LA Rams and the Los Angeles Chargers are in town, the venue underwent significant changes ahead of the World Cup.
The turf used for American football was stripped out and cool-season hybrid grass installed, delivered in refrigerated trucks. Around 400 seats have been removed from demountable sections and the playing surface raised by roughly 75cm using a substructure that allows airflow beneath the pitch.
Centre of development
Opened in September 2020 in Inglewood, about 20km from Los Angeles, SoFi Stadium lies at the heart of the Hollywood Park development. The 120-hectare site includes shops, offices, a hotel, a park, and 2,500 homes.
The stadium will be renamed Los Angeles Stadium during the World Cup and host five group stage matches, including the opening game of co-hosts the United States, who face Paraguay on 12 June. Two matches in the new round of 32 are also scheduled there.
The first, on 26 June, will be between the runners-up of Groups A and B. The second, on 2 July, will pit the winners of Group H against the runners-up of the group containing defending champions Argentina, Algeria, Austria and Jordan, who are making their World Cup debut.
Quarter-final at Los Angeles
A quarter-final on 10 July will conclude the stadium's programme of World Cup fixtures.
The translucent roof allows natural light in while shading spectators from direct sun, and adjustable panels can channel ocean breezes through the space.
Infinity screen
The stadium's 6,503 m² dual-sided videoboard is positioned 37 metres above the playing surface. Weighing nearly 1,000 tonnes, it spans 110 metres and houses 268 speakers. Teams in the technical area and fans in the lower bowl can view the inside of the screen, while those in the upper bowl can see the outer panels.
In an interview with ESPN, SoFi Stadium's chief technology officer Skarpi Hedinsson described the videoboard as "the eighth wonder of the sports world."