SoFi Stadium Edges Out Rose Bowl To Host Matches During 2026 World Cup

SoFi Stadium in Inglewood was chosen among a total of 10 stadiums to hold games during the 2026 World Cup in North America, FIFA announced Thursday.

The Rose Bowl had been a finalist but lost out in the final selection.

Matches during the FIFA World Cup in 2026 are set to be held in the U.S., Mexico and Canada. Los Angeles hosted matches during the 1994 World Cup and the 1999 Women’s World Cup.

As part of the effort to be selected to host games, the Los Angeles World Cup Host Committee led FIFA officials on tours of the Rose Bowl Stadium, SoFi Stadium and Hollywood Park in November.

SoFi Stadium — which is home to the NFL’s Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Chargers — officially opened on Sept. 13, 2020. It is the most expensive stadium ever built, at an estimated cost of about $5.5 billion. It was built on the site of the former Hollywood Park racetrack and sits adjacent to the Forum.

The host committee’s effort was led by the Los Angeles Sports & Entertainment Commission, which includes the Los Angeles Rams, SoFi Stadium and Hollywood Park, Rose Bowl Stadium, Los Angeles Football Club and L.A. Galaxy.

“Our organizations have worked diligently to develop and submit a bid for the Los Angeles area to serve as a host for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Our experience when the Rose Bowl hosted the Finals of the 1994 FIFA World Cup and 1999 FIFA Women’s World Cup, as well as the world-class infrastructure, vibrant communities and our status as one of the nation’s richest soccer cultures set the Los Angeles region apart,” the Los Angeles World Cup Host Committee said in a statement Thursday afternoon.