The first match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup is set to take place at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles in 30 days, but lingering questions remain about ticket affordability, security, and immigration enforcement.
During a press event on Tuesday at the stadium, Kathy Schloessman, the CEO of the Los Angeles World Cup Host Committee for the FIFA World Cup 2026, told reporters that despite many discussions with the federal government, she cannot guarantee that ICE agents will stick to safety and security and not stray into enforcement action.
“We are working very hard to have a safe and secure event,” she said. “Those decisions are made above my level.”
When asked by KNX News’ Jon Baird if local cities are going to be reimbursed by the feds for the extra security costs during the World Cup, Schloessman said there is federal support for the U.S. host cities “to make sure that they have an adequate level of safety and security in place.”
As for ticket affordability, Baird reported that the minimum prices for the game are around $1,000.
Meantime, tickets are not cheap for the upcoming World Cup games, with minimum prices around $1,000. Jason Krutzsch, the senior VP of marketing for the L.A. Host Committee, told Baird this is a “once-in-a-generation event, and demand is significant.”
“With that becomes major event pricing, and I think you're seeing that a lot in the marketplace,” he said. “Any of the 70,000 people that come to the stadium are going to have an exceptional experience for those matches.”
Eight matches in the World Cup will be played in L.A. The first match in L.A. will be the U.S. against Paraguay on June 12, 2026.
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