Los Angeles is a city of stars. From ordinary events to sporting contests, celebrities frequently appear throughout the city. The soccer clubs in the city (LAFC, LA Galaxy, and Angel City) are known for having household names regularly attend and/or invest in them.
So, when it came time to announce where the United States Men’s National Team (USMNT) would play its first group stage match, it was on-brand that prominent personality and Los Angeles native, Kim Kardashian, would be the one to do so. And the place she announced for the occasion was SoFi Stadium, one of Southern California’s most extravagant venues.
“I will be the most embarrassing soccer mom on the planet,” said Kardashian on the FOX broadcast.
In total, Los Angeles will host eight World Cup matches. Two of them are the United States’s first and third group-stage matches, which will take place on June 12 and 25. Another three are group-stage games featuring other nations on June 15, 18, and 21. Finally, SoFi Stadium will have two Round of 32 matches (M73 and M84), plus a quarterfinal game (M98) on June 28, July 2, and July 10, respectively.
“LA has a melting pot of cultures, a bunch of different people coming together,” said United States head coach Gregg Berhalter. “LA has everything: the beaches, the weather, it’s a great location to watch soccer. I’m sure throughout the 2026 World Cup, it’s going to be a great venue.”
The 2026 World Cup features an expanded field of teams, with 48 teams (previously 32) participating in the tournament. It is hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada, who will play group-stage matches in their countries.
The United States wants to make a deep run in the tournament. They were eliminated in the Round of 16 during the 2022 World Cup and hope to go farther in front of their home crowd. Their journey starts in Los Angeles, and the team will “probably” be based in Los Angeles during the group stage, according to Berhalter.
“We look forward to just being in LA,” Berhalter said. “The stadium (is) probably one of the best stadiums in the world, and getting to play there twice in the group stage.”
