The hearts and minds of the soccer fans around the world will be locked in on North America as the 2026 FIFA World Cup approaches.
More importantly for soccer-crazed Santa Barbara residents, Los Angeles is among the 16 host cities in Canada, Mexico, and the United States. The 2026 World Cup will be the first to feature 104 matches, making it the largest ever. With the announcement of the group draws on December 5, the details of the upcoming spectacle have come into focus.
Highlighting the Los Angeles schedule is the United States Men’s National opening match against Paraguay on June 12 at SoFi Stadium, marking the first U.S. game of the tournament.
Los Angeles will host eight confirmed matches featuring the United States, Belgium, Iran, New Zealand, Switzerland, and the European Play-Off winners for Groups A and C. Depending on how the tournament unfolds, L.A. could also host additional teams — including, potentially, Mexico, South Korea, Italy, and Canada — for the three knockout-stage matches.
Fans will also have another chance to apply for FIFA World Cup 2026 tickets as the random selection draw opened December 11 at fifa.com/tickets, and runs through January 13.
“It’s incredibly exciting to see Los Angeles host the team’s opening match versus Paraguay,” said Chris Klein, Los Angeles World Cup 2026 Host Committee Co-Chair and former U.S. Men’s National Team Player. “Our region will be the starting point for the United States’ FIFA World Cup journey, giving fans across the country a chance to rally behind our team and experience the excitement of the world’s biggest stage.”
The spotlight will be on Sofi Stadium as the state-of-the-art venue will host all of the Los Angeles World cup matches, despite initial concerns about the playing surface and field width.
The venue has installed a temporary, high-tech hybrid grass field over its usual artificial turf to meet FIFA’s requirements, with major renovations in the lower bowl to widen the pitch for a full-sized soccer field.
The cutting-edge pitch features a sub-air system, positioning SoFi Stadium at the forefront of advanced field technology for a stadium of its size.
The United States is in Group D along with Australia, Paraguay, and a European qualifier to be determined among Turkey, Slovakia, Kosovo, and Romania.
Optimism is high as the United States has rounded into form of late under coach Mauricio Pochettino, closing 2025 on a three-match winning streak. With world-class players such as Christian Pulisic of AC Milan and Weston McKennie of Juventus, the home team certainly has a chance to advance out of the group.
With a short drive down the highway or trip on the Pacific Surfliner, Central Coast residents will have the rare opportunity to see their countrymen perform on the biggest stage the sports world has to offer.
Los Angeles Match Schedule:
Match 4: Friday, June 12, 2026 at 18:00 PT (21:00 ET), U.S.A. vs. PAR (Group D)
Match 15: Monday, June 15, 2026 at 18:00 PT (21:00 ET), IRN vs. NZL (Group G)
Match 26: Thursday, June 18, 2026 at 12:00 PT (15:00 ET), SUI vs. ITA/NIR/WAL/BIH* (Group B)
Match 39: Sunday, June 21, 2026 at 12:00 PT (15:00 ET), BEL vs. IRN (Group G)
Match 59: Thursday, June 25, 2026 at 19:00 PT (22:00 ET), TUR/ROU/SVK/KOS* vs. U.S.A. (Group D)
Match 73: Sunday, June 28, 2026 at 12:00 PT (15:00 ET), Round of 32
Match 84: Thursday, July 2, 2026 at 12:00 PT (15:00 ET), Round of 32
Match 98: Friday, July 10, 2026 at 12:00 PT (15:00 ET), Quarter-Finals
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