Los Angeles in overdrive to host FIFA event

Article posted by Coliseum, July 5^th, 2021

Image: LASEC

The Los Angeles World Cup (US) Host Committee is led by the Los Angeles Sports & Entertainment Commission (LASEC) and includes the Los Angeles Rams Foundation, Rose Bowl Legacy Foundation, Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC) Sports Foundation, the LA Galaxy Foundation and is Co-Chaired by the LA Galaxy President, Chris Klein, and LAFC Co-President, Larry Freedman.

The ‘Los Angeles Sports & Entertainment Commission’ stated that the Host Committee is a united soccer front established to deliver a once-in-a-generation opportunity for Los Angeles (US), that will drive lasting social, cultural and economic impact for the region.

Los Angeles is ramping up bid to host FIFA World Cup™ 2026 matchups.

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The 2026 FIFA World Cup™ will be the 23rd FIFA World Cup™, the quadrennial international men’s soccer championship contested by the national teams of the member-associations of FIFA. The host countries are Canada, United States and Mexico.

United 2026 was a successful joint bid led by the United States Soccer Federation, together with the Canadian Soccer Association and the Mexican Football Federation, to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup™ in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

The Los Angeles Sports & Entertainment Commission (LASEC) is a nonprofit organization officially designated by Los Angeles Tourism to attract, secure and support high-profile sports and entertainment events in Los Angeles.

The Los Angeles Football Club, commonly referred to as LAFC, is an American professional soccer team based in Los Angeles, US. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member club of the league’s Western Conference. The LAFC Sports Foundation empower youth and communities across Greater Los Angeles by providing access and opportunity to the world’s game, teaching life skills, supporting public education, and promoting health and well-being.

The LA Galaxy, also known as the Los Angeles Galaxy, is an American professional soccer club based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Galaxy competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Western Conference. The LA Galaxy Foundation is an organization associated with the LA Galaxy, and is dedicated to assisting the community in which the team lives, works and plays.

Men at the helm

Larry Freedman, LAFC Co-President, Los Angeles World Cup Host Committee Co-Chair, put in, “LA is truly a ‘Soccer City’. From playgrounds to City parks, kids and adults alike play soccer here from dawn until dusk. We are proud to be a part of the Los Angeles World Cup Host Committee, working with other members of the Committee to make our collective vision of bringing the world’s best players to the world’s City a reality.”

Chris Klein, LA Galaxy President, Los Angeles World Cup Host Committee Co-Chair, stated, “Los Angeles has a rich and storied soccer history with a deeply passionate and diverse community of fans, from youth athletes to global superstars. This City is a multicultural epicenter with supporters of teams and nations throughout the world. L.A.’s resources and infrastructure will set the standard for a Host City and make it a perfect location for the most celebrated tournament in the world.”

Pick of the litter

The ‘Los Angeles Sports & Entertainment Commission’ further stated that the Los Angeles World Cup Host Committee has put forth two pièce de résistance stadia for FIFA and U.S. Soccer to select from, in the Rose Bowl Stadium and SoFi Stadium and Hollywood Park. The region also boasts numerous locations available for training sites or base camps for international teams.

The 90,888-capacity Rose Bowl Stadium is an American outdoor athletic stadium located in the Los Angeles suburb of Pasadena, California. Opened in October 1922, the stadium is recognized as a National Historic Landmark and a California Historic Civil Engineering landmark.

The 70,000-capacity SoFi Stadium is a stadium and entertainment complex in Inglewood, California, United States. It is located at the former site of the Hollywood Park Racetrack 3 miles from LAX Airport, immediately Southeast of The Forum.

‘Soccer City’

Los Angeles continues to define itself as a ‘Soccer City’, building off the rich history of hosting the 1984 Olympic Soccer tournament, the 1994 FIFA World Cup™ and 1999 FIFA Women’s World Cup™, which remain the largest-attended FIFA World Cup™ events in history. The City is home to three professional soccer teams – the Los Angeles Galaxy, the Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC) and Angel City FC.

Timeline

The FIFA World Cup 2026™ will take place across North America, with cities in Canada, Mexico and the USA all set to host matches. Los Angeles is bidding for the opportunity to host multiple matches, a fan festival and other ancillary events.

The Host Committee is expecting FIFA to finalize the 16 Host Cities from the proposed slate of 23 candidates by the end of 2021. The United States has proposed 17 candidate Host Cities, and 10 of these destinations are expected to be selected in the final round.

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