SoFi Stadium: World Cup 2026 Venue in Los Angeles

SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California is one of the headline venues at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The home of the NFL's Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Chargers, the stadium opened in September 2020 and has rapidly become one of the most architecturally distinctive sports venues in North America. With a base capacity of 70,240 (expandable to over 100,000 for events outside its standard configuration), SoFi sits among the largest US venues at the tournament and hosts multiple group-stage and knockout fixtures.

SoFi anchors the Los Angeles host city designation, with the stadium itself sitting in Inglewood roughly 10 miles south of downtown LA. The 2026 World Cup is the first time SoFi has hosted a major international football tournament, although the stadium has staged international friendlies, the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup final, and the upcoming 2028 Olympic ceremonies.

Key facts

• Location: Inglewood, California, United States
• Host city: Los Angeles
• Capacity: 70,240 (base; expandable for major events)
• Surface: Natural grass (temporary, installed for World Cup over the regular synthetic surface)
• Year built: 2020
• Tenant teams: Los Angeles Rams (NFL), Los Angeles Chargers (NFL)
• Roof: Indoor, partially translucent ETFE canopy
• 2026 World Cup role: Group-stage matches plus knockout fixtures

Stadium overview

SoFi Stadium opened in September 2020 at a reported total cost of $5.5 billion, the most expensive stadium ever built. The vast indoor-outdoor structure sits at the heart of the new Hollywood Park development on the former site of the Hollywood Park horse-racing track. The stadium's most distinctive feature is the Infinity Screen by Samsung, a double-sided 4K video board suspended above the playing surface, the largest of its kind in any American sports venue.

The roof is a translucent ETFE canopy, allowing natural light through to the playing surface while providing weather protection. The bowl is sunken into the ground rather than rising above it, with the playing surface 100 feet below the surrounding plaza level. This unusual configuration creates exceptional acoustics and gives every seat in the bowl a strong sight line.

The stadium hosted Super Bowl LVI in February 2022, the LA Rams' home Super Bowl, and Super Bowl LIX in 2025. It is the future home of the 2028 Summer Olympics opening and closing ceremonies.

Pitch reconfiguration for the World Cup

SoFi normally uses a synthetic playing surface. Like several other 2026 World Cup venues that primarily host NFL, the stadium installed a temporary natural-grass surface for the tournament under FIFA's grass-only mandate. The grass was grown in advance at a turf farm and laid in panels over the regular synthetic surface in the weeks leading up to the tournament. The full pitch dimensions meet FIFA's 105 metres by 68 metres requirement.

The conversion is one of the largest single-venue infrastructure investments at the 2026 World Cup. After the tournament, the natural-grass surface will be removed and the stadium will return to its standard NFL configuration.

2026 World Cup fixtures

SoFi Stadium's 2026 schedule includes a substantial share of West Coast fixtures:

• Multiple group-stage matches across the early phase of the tournament
• A round of 32 fixture during the new knockout opening round
• A round of 16 fixture during the deeper knockout phase

The exact match-by-match schedule with kick-off times is on our matches page. Most SoFi fixtures are expected to kick off in the local late afternoon or evening, designed to reach prime-time audiences across the Americas and morning audiences in East Asia.

Travel and transit

SoFi Stadium is in Inglewood, southwest of downtown Los Angeles. Public transit options include:

• LA Metro K Line: The Downtown Inglewood and Westchester/Veterans stations are within a short walk of the stadium. Service runs from downtown LA via the LA Metro system.
• LA Metro E Line: Connects downtown LA to Santa Monica with transfer to the K Line at Expo/Crenshaw, useful for visitors staying further west.
• By car: Located near the 405, 105 and 110 freeways, with extensive on-site parking. Los Angeles traffic is heavy on matchdays.
• By air: Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) is roughly four miles north of the stadium, the closest major airport to any 2026 World Cup venue. The K Line provides direct LAX-to-stadium service.

Most international visitors stay in downtown LA, Santa Monica, or West Hollywood. Allow 30-60 minutes door-to-door from these neighbourhoods, longer in matchday traffic.

Past major football events

SoFi Stadium has hosted football (soccer) at multiple top-flight levels since opening. The 2023 Concacaf Gold Cup final between Mexico and Panama (won 1-0 by Mexico) was hosted at SoFi, providing a strong test of the stadium's match-day operations for an international football final. The Mexican national team plays at SoFi regularly, drawing capacity crowds from the substantial Mexican-American community in Southern California.

European clubs have toured to SoFi for pre-season friendlies, and the stadium also hosted the 2024 Concacaf Nations League final. The 2026 World Cup is its first FIFA tournament hosting role.

The stadium experience

SoFi is one of the most modern stadiums in any American sport. Concourse food and drink options span LA-themed restaurants and high-end bar concepts. Sight lines from anywhere in the bowl are exceptional, with the sunken design keeping every spectator close to the action. The Infinity Screen visible from every seat replays key moments and shows real-time match data.

For Premier League and European football fans accustomed to standing terraces, SoFi is fully seated. The Mexican-American supporter base in Southern California typically generates strong atmosphere at major football fixtures, and 2026 World Cup matches involving Mexico, Argentina or major European nations are likely to feature substantial visiting fan presences.

Accommodation and pre-match logistics

The closest hotel cluster to SoFi Stadium is in Inglewood and El Segundo, with international visitors more typically staying in downtown LA, Santa Monica, or Beverly Hills. The K Line gives a direct rail option from the airport and downtown for visitors who do not want to drive.

The FIFA Fan Festival for the Los Angeles host city operates throughout the tournament. Each match day typically pairs the stadium gate experience with the broader fan festival activation in central LA.

Related guides

• World Cup 2026 hub, with the full tournament guide.
• Los Angeles host city guide, with travel and accommodation detail.
• All 16 World Cup 2026 venues.
• All 16 World Cup 2026 host cities.
• Full fixture schedule, by venue and by date.