Los Angeles is no longer a host city for the 2026 World Cup due to an ongoing dispute between FIFA and the owners of SoFi Stadium, ESPN reported.
The home of the NFL's Rams and Chargers was originally thought to be one of three contenders to host the World Cup final, along with MetLife Stadium (East Rutherford, N.J.) and AT&T Stadium (Arlington, Texas).
Previous reports indicated that Stan Kroenke, owner of SoFi Stadium and the Rams, is unhappy with the proposed financial split between FIFA, the city and the stadium.
John Sutcliffe on ESPN reporting that SoFi Stadium will likely not host World Cup games at all in 2026...
The most expensive stadium will be dormant during North American WC.. Shame....— Maximiliano Bretos (@MaxBretosSports) October 17, 2023
SoFi Stadium will NOT be a 2026 venue according to reports from ESPN Deportes.
Apparently Kroenke doesn’t want to make the necessary changes to allow stadium to meet FIFA regulations.— Ralph Hannah (@paraguayralph) October 16, 2023
ESPN reported earlier this week that there are also issues with the field at the $5.5 billion stadium, which opened in 2020 as the world's most expensive sports venue.
Renovations would be necessary to accommodate FIFA's demands regarding the size of the pitch and Kroenke is not willing to take on those construction costs, per the report.
Los Angeles was one of the 16 host cities/regions revealed in June 2022, including three venues in Mexico and two in Canada. Las Vegas' Allegiant Stadium is said to be one of the potential replacements for SoFi Stadium.
--Field Level Media
