2026 World Cup Guide: Los Angeles

Explore Matador Network’s full
FIFA World Cup 2026 Travel Guide

Los Angeles opens the US matches of the FIFA World Cup 2026 by hosting the country’s first match on June 12. SoFi Stadium in Inglewood will be one of the busiest venues in the competition with eight matches on the schedule, including two group-stage appearances by the US men’s national team, a pair of knockout rounds, and a quarter-final.

SoFi’s location near Los Angeles International Airport, major freeways, and Metro lines makes it one of the most accessible venues on the World Cup circuit. And that ease of access extends to accommodations, with well-connected neighborhoods like Downtown LA, Culver City, and the South Bay offering a range of hotels and direct transit routes to the stadium. LA is hosting eight matches in 2026 and tickets are in demand.

Here’s your guide to all things LA World Cup.

• About SoFi Stadium
• Tickets and matches
• Getting to LA
• Getting around during the World Cup
• Details on the FIFA Fan Zone
• Hotels, soccer bars, and what else to do
• More about LA

Photo: Ringo Chiu/Shutterstock

SoFi Stadium in LA’s Inglewood neighborhood is an extremely high-tech cutting-edge, indoor-outdoor venue. Its signature feature is the 360-degree, double-sided 4K “Infinity Screen” that hangs from the roof and lets attendees see replays from anywhere; no seat has an obstructed view. It’s home to both the Los Angeles Rams and Chargers of the NFL and seats about 70,000, though it can be expanded to up to 100,000 for big events. It was the most expensive stadium ever built when it opened in 2020, though it seems to be paying off: it already hosted Super Bowl LVI and will host the 2028 Summer Olympics.

Fans who get hungry while cheering are in luck as it has not just basic stadium food, but also California-inspired bites like LA street dogs, sliders, and al pastor tortas — plus plenty of bars with great views of the action on the field.

• Friday, June 12, 2026: Group Stage, Match 4 — USA vs Paraguay (6 PM PT)
• Monday, June 15, 2026: Group Stage, Match 15 — Iran vs New Zealand (6 PM PT)
• Thursday, June 18, 2026: Group Stage, Match 26 — Switzerland vs UEFA Play-Off A Winner* (Noon PT)
• Sunday, June 21, 2026: Group Stage, Match 39 — Belgium vs Iran (Noon PT)
• Thursday, June 25, 2026: Group Stage, Match 59 — USA vs UEFA Play-Off C Winner* (7 PM ET)
• Sunday, June 28, 2026: Round of 32, Match 73 — Runner-up Group A vs Runner-up Group B (Noon PT)
• Thursday, July 2, 2026: Round of 32, Match 84 — Winner Group H vs Runner-up Group J (Noon PT)
• Friday, July 10, 2026: Quarterfinal, Match 98 — Winner Match 93 vs Winner Match 94 (Noon PT)

Tickets are on sale for all World Cup matches, though they’re currently limited to fans who have won various ticket-buying lotteries. Open sales for the general public are expected to start in February or March 2026. FIFA uses dynamic pricing, meaning that prices for tickets change as demand ebbs and flows. As with most matches, LA’s seats are expected to be priced starting around $150 a seat, though resale tickets on sites like StubHub are already close to $1,500 per seat for the USA game on June 12.

For anyone coming from Asia, Australia, or elsewhere on the West Coast, LA will be one of the easiest cities to reach. You’ll fly into Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), one of the busiest airports in the US. LAX is adding an Automated People Mover (APM) and the LAX/Metro Transit Center to link airport terminals with parking, rental cars, and regional transit, improving access ahead of upcoming mega-events. As of February 2026, it’s unclear whether the people mover will be open for World Cup arrivals, but the new Transit Center is planned to open on June 6, 2026. Either way, the airport is still adept at managing crowds, and if the people mover isn’t open, you’ll be able to use LAX’s extensive bus and shuttle system to move between all terminals.

If you’re heading into the city by train (and arriving after June 6), the closest stop will be the LAX/Metro Transit Center. Take the free Metro Connector shuttle, which moves between all airport terminals and runs every 10 minutes or so.

You can also arrive in the city by train. Amtrak’s Pacific Surfliner route runs between San Luis Obispo to the north and San Diego to the south, stopping at LA’s Union Station. From there, you can take Metro or Metro buses to almost anywhere in the city you’d like to go.

Photo: Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board

You have a few options for the best way to reach SoFi Stadium from downtown Los Angeles, depending on whether you value speed or cost. Driving is an option, averaging about 25 to 40 minutes each way — though it could be double or triple that, as LA is notorious for bad traffic. SoFi Stadium does allow you to reserve a parking space in advance, which is advisable during popular events like the World Cup. But you may still have a long walk from your parking spot. Rideshare services like Uber or Lyft operate in designated zones near Kareem Court and Pincay Drive.

If you’d prefer public transportation, take the Metro C Line (Green) to Hawthorne/Lennox Station, then board the free SoFi Stadium Shuttle, which operates on event days and drops off near the stadium entrance. The LA World Cup Committee and LA Metro have a World Cup travel website that will have travel options, routes, and details for each game. The city also has a useful guide to public transportation that answers all the questions visitors could possibly have about seeing the city without a car. You can also take the Metro Bus (Line 117), which stops about a 10-minute walk from the stadium.

Photo: Marcus E Jones/Shutterstock

Los Angeles will have one main FIFA Fan Festival plus a series of smaller official fan zones spread around the region. The largest site will be the FIFA Fan Festival at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and Exposition Park, with big screens for live matches, a performance stage, interactive soccer areas, and food and drink focused on LA’s international communities. It’s easy to reach from almost anywhere in LA, accessed via the aptly named Expo Park/USC Station, though the Expo/Vermont Station is only about a 12-minute walk. It’s expected to be open only from June 11 to June 15, 2026.

But that doesn’t mean you won’t be able to watch the rest of the matches if you’re in LA. The host committee is staging multiple fan zones throughout the city in specific neighborhoods so people don’t have to travel to one central site. Confirmed locations include the Original Farmers Market at 3rd and Fairfax, Union Station and LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes (“Heart of the City”), Venice Beach, Magic Johnson Park in South LA, Hansen Dam Lake in the Valley, Whittier Narrows in the San Gabriel Valley, Fairplex in Pomona, and West Harbor at the Port of Los Angeles. Each site runs only on certain dates during the tournament and will have specific programming that reflects that area’s character.