With 30 days remaining until its first match, Los Angeles is prepared with transportation and food options for the World Cup. However, the playing surface is not yet ready. The U.S. men's national team will open their campaign at SoFi Stadium, temporarily renamed Los Angeles Stadium, against Paraguay on June 12. This will be the first of eight matches hosted at the NFL venue in Inglewood.
Field Construction Underway
As of Tuesday, the field was entirely dirt. That will change on Wednesday when sod arrives after a 1,600-mile journey in refrigerated trucks from Washington state. The installation is expected to take two days. Otto Benedict, senior vice president of facilities and campus operations for SoFi Stadium, emphasized the importance of the surface: "This surface is the players' stage."
Construction on the field began on April 13, following a Monster Jam event where 12,000-pound trucks competed. The stadium has modified the field shared by the NFL's Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Chargers in two phases. Auxiliary space and wider dimensions were created by removing corner seats to meet FIFA specifications, and a sophisticated irrigation system has been installed to maintain the grass.
Community and Economic Impact
Local World Cup organizers and community ambassador Magic Johnson applauded the construction, landscape, grass, and engineering crews. Johnson pointed out his suite where he will watch the matches. He noted the significant financial impact on Los Angeles: "When you think about the financial impact it's going to have on Los Angeles, it's going to be amazing." Johnson is a co-owner of LAFC in Major League Soccer and the Washington Spirit in the National Women's Soccer League.
Signage advertising the stadium's usual sponsors is already being removed. Tours of the stadium during the tournament are being sold for $86.50, and premium seating, suites, and hospitality packages are still available.
Food and Drink Options
Fans can choose from a variety of food and drink options. Among the items on display Tuesday were salsa verde aguachile with lime marinated shrimp, kettle cooked crispy pickles, stone fruit panzanella, spiced lamb rack, smoked salmon mousse, petite beef burgers, tuna poke, and aged ribeye cap with bordelaise and mashed potatoes. Desserts include a World Cup trophy made of chocolate mousse, raspberry, chocolate crunch, and chocolate sponge, as well as a soccer ball filled with vanilla mousse, peach, strawberry crunch, and vanilla sponge.
Transportation Plans
Metro has debuted special edition TAP cards featuring three FIFA-themed designs, 17 country-specific designs, four FIFA collector cards (including a light-up card), and a collector's box. Stephanie Wiggins, Metro CEO, stated: "We want to provide a system that is safe, fast and fun."
Metro is working with 11 other transit lines in the region to offer direct-to-stadium bus service for $3.75 roundtrip from 15 park-and-ride lots in Los Angeles and Orange counties. Reserved parking lots range from $55 to over $100. Fans can access 300 dedicated buses for each match to avoid disrupting service for regular Metro riders.
Fan Festivities
The official FIFA Fan Festival will be held June 11-14 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, with big screens showing games. Ten fan zones across Los Angeles County will host activities and watch parties.
