Los Angeles.

The bottom line

• The matches are at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, CA. Its own municipality, twelve miles from downtown LA, two miles from LAX. FIFA renames it "Los Angeles Stadium" during the tournament¹. Inglewood is not the City of Los Angeles.
• Eight matches at SoFi: 5 group stage, 2 Round of 32, and a Quarterfinal on 10 July². The USMNT plays here twice (12 June and 25 June).
• Iran plays here twice (15 June, 21 June). FIFA rejected Iran's relocation request to Mexico in mid-April 2026³⁴. Verify against FIFA close to your match date.
• Transit-only for the WC: no general parking, no tailgating⁵. Take transit or budget for Uber surge.
• Fan Festival: four days only, paid entry. LA Memorial Coliseum, 11–14 June, $10 GA¹². After that, "Kick it in the Park": 100+ free screenings at 18 city parks through the full tournament, plus MacArthur Park / Wilshire on 10–11 July⁴²¹³.
• Build 90+ minutes from anywhere in metro LA.

Match schedule

Verify kickoff times against FIFA close to your match — subject to change.

Getting to SoFi on matchday

Build 90+ minutes from anywhere in metro LA. Matchday traffic is not a Google Maps problem — it's a physics problem.

Metro direct buses (the move)

Direct WC matchday buses from 13 pickup locations across SoCal (no transfers, every ~10 minutes around kickoff)⁶. Standard Metro fare ($1.75) or bundled in the SpotHero parking package. Pickup spots: Hawthorne/Lennox, Crenshaw, Union Station, Long Beach, Anaheim, LAX Metro Transit Center, Harbor Gateway, Culver City, Torrance, Santa Monica, North Hollywood, Pierce College, Newport. Full details at metro.net/worldcup. Arrive early. Union Station lines wrapped the block four hours before the USMNT opener.

K Line + 1.5-mile walk (the locals' move)

K Line (Crenshaw/LAX) to Downtown Inglewood station, walk ~25 minutes down Manchester to Market or La Brea. More reliable than the shuttle queue in both directions⁷⁸. Park-and-ride options on the K Line: Expo/La Brea, Redondo Beach (free, 72-hour max), Norwalk (free weekends), Lynwood (free)¹⁶¹⁷.

Post-match

Walk to Downtown Inglewood K Line station instead of joining the shuttle queue (left out of Gate 1, past the Forum, north to the station). Lit and busy through the post-event window⁷.

Rideshare

Surge is brutal. The stadium-gate Uber after a match is a 60-to-90-minute trap. Walk a few blocks before calling¹⁹.

What's not happening

• Inglewood Transit Connector (ITC): the automated people-mover from K Line to SoFi is not operating (years of planning, no shovels). Dead⁹. Don't plan around it.
• LAX People Mover (APM/SkyLink): not running for the WC. Use the G-shuttle bus from LAX terminals to the LAX Metro Transit Center, then the K Line or WC bus¹⁰¹¹.
• General stadium parking: gone for the WC. FIFA controls the lots⁵.

Fan zones

The four-day Coliseum window is not a typo — compare Atlanta (16 days) and NYC (through July 19). "Kick it in the Park" is LA's answer to the rest of the tournament. Full park-by-park schedule at losangelesfwc26.com⁴².

Where each nation's supporters drink

LA has no multi-team hub on the scale of NYC's Smithfield Hall or Football Factory. The diaspora corridors are far apart — Westwood to Boyle Heights is 12 miles, Koreatown to Sawtelle is 10 miles. Pick your room by country first.

Note: Cock 'n Bull (formerly 2947 Lincoln Blvd, Santa Monica) is permanently closed since 2020 — now Tacos Por Favor²⁴. Any older guide sending you there is out of date.

The deepest matchday intel — pre-match meetups, last-minute venue changes — lives in WhatsApp groups, supporter Discords, and Facebook pages. Follow each nation's community channels for real-time venue updates.

Teams playing at SoFi

United States · 12 June vs Paraguay, 25 June vs TürkiyeQ's Billiards, Lucky Baldwin's, Ye Olde King's Head, Tom Bergin's

• Hub: Multiple: Q's Billiards (11835 Wilshire, West LA; AO Santa Monica home, 50+ TVs), Lucky Baldwin's (17 S Raymond Ave, Pasadena; AO Pasadena home), Ye Olde King's Head (116 Santa Monica Blvd), Tom Bergin's (840 S Fairfax, Mid-Wilshire)²⁶
• Pre-match: AO LA chapter officially lists 1739 Public House (Los Feliz) — Yelp showed "Closed" as of March 2026; verify AO LA's current rotating venue before traveling²⁶
• What to know: Both USMNT matches are PT-evening kickoffs. The Group D opener (12 June) is the highest-stakes US sports event in the city since the 1984 Olympics. AO has Long Beach, SFV, OC, and IE chapters (theamericanoutlaws.com/chapters for current home venues).
• Community channel: @americanoutlaws (Instagram, Twitter); per-chapter IG for live venue confirmation²⁶

Iran · 15 June vs New Zealand, 21 June vs BelgiumWestwood Boulevard restaurant corridor

• Hub: Shamshiri Grill (1712 Westwood Blvd), Shaherzad (1422 Westwood Blvd), Attari Sandwich Shop (1388 Westwood Blvd) on Westwood Boulevard (between Wilshire and Santa Monica).
• Pre-match: Corridor venues are mostly restaurants, not sports bars. Call the week of the match to confirm screen plan. For Iran-Belgium (21 June, 12pm PT), the corridor fills from 10am.
• What to know: LA's Iranian-American diaspora is the largest outside Iran itself. Most are post-1979 émigrés or their children with a complex relationship to the Islamic Republic (many are anti-regime but ardently support Team Melli). Expect pre-revolution lion-and-sun flags alongside post-revolution flags. Iranian nationals face heavy visa restrictions; the room will be diaspora-supported almost entirely²⁸. Verify match venue against FIFA close to your date (politically contested)³⁴
• Post-match: Saffron Rose Ice Cream (1387 Westwood Blvd) — bastani sonnati is the right post-victory order
• Community channel: Primarily WhatsApp and Telegram — no single public channel; check Hammer Museum (Wilshire/Westwood) for outdoor WC screening programming

Türkiye · 25 June vs USAGlendale Turkish restaurant cluster

• Hub: Glendale Turkish restaurant cluster; Atatürk Cultural Center of LA and Turkish American Society of Southern California organize community watch parties — check Facebook and Eventbrite the week before
• Pre-match: No canonical single venue; multi-team pubs (Ye Olde King's Head, Lucky Baldwin's, Tom Bergin's) handle the USA-Türkiye dynamic better than a single-nation spot
• What to know: Türkiye's first WC since 2002³⁹. The room at SoFi will lean USMNT 80/20. Note Glendale also has a large Armenian-American community — politically complicated geography
• Community channel: Facebook (Atatürk Cultural Center of LA, Turkish American Society of SoCal)

Switzerland · 18 June vs Bosnia and HerzegovinaThe Pikey or Ye Olde King's Head

• Hub: No Swiss corridor in LA. Default to The Pikey (7617 Sunset, Hollywood) or Ye Olde King's Head.
• Pre-match: Swiss Society of Los Angeles historically organizes informal community watch events — check their channels close to publish
• What to know: Small room; mostly mixed expats. Edelweiss (Pasadena) historically ran Swiss/German fondue. Verify operating status before recommending.
• Community channel: Swiss Society of Los Angeles (Facebook/Instagram)

Bosnia and Herzegovina · 18 June vs SwitzerlandYe Olde King's Head, Tom Bergin's, The Pikey

• Hub: No Bosnian corridor in LA. Multi-team defaults (Ye Olde King's Head, Tom Bergin's, The Pikey)
• Pre-match: Bosnian-Herzegovinian American Association of Southern California organizes match programming — Facebook is the channel
• What to know: Bosnia's first WC since 2014 (qualified by beating Italy on penalties in the European playoff final)⁴⁰. Small diaspora in LA, dispersed across Westside and Valley.
• Supporter terms: Zmajevi (the Dragons)

Belgium · 21 June vs IranVerdugo Bar or multi-team defaults

• Hub: No Belgian corridor in LA. Multi-team defaults or Verdugo Bar (3408 Verdugo Rd, Glassell Park) for Eastside craft-beer room.
• What to know: Belgian visitor density in Westwood on 21 June will be small; the Iranian-supporter presence dominates. Belgian visitors should find a multi-team pub and let the corridor be Iran's.
• Supporter terms: De Rode Duivels / Les Diables Rouges; chant "Allez Belgique"

New Zealand · 15 June vs IranSonny McLean's or multi-team defaults

• Hub: Sonny McLean's (2615 Wilshire, Santa Monica); Aussie X (Hermosa Beach — verify operating status); Ye Olde King's Head as Westside fallback
• What to know: New Zealand's first WC since 2010. Small room in a large city. The corridor for Iran-NZ will be Westwood; Kiwi supporters will be a small pocket.
• Community channel: Australian American Association of LA (Kiwi diaspora often piggybacks on Aussie organizations)
• Supporter terms: All Whites

Paraguay · 12 June vs USAMulti-team venues or Argentine Mid-Wilshire

• Hub: No Paraguayan corridor in LA. Room at SoFi for the opener leans USMNT 90/10. Argentine Mid-Wilshire corridor (Lala's Argentine Grill on Melrose) sometimes hosts Paraguay watch parties; multi-team Westside pubs as fallback
• What to know: Paraguay's first WC since 2010. La Albirroja supporters who fly in will be visible but a small room.
• Supporter terms: La Albirroja; chants in Spanish and Guaraní

Diaspora teams (your country plays elsewhere — LA still has the room)

Mexico · Group A — plays in Mexico, Guadalajara, MonterreyPlaza Mexico, Guelaguetza, The Gold Room, La Cita Bar

• Hub (mass capacity): Plaza Mexico (3100 E Imperial Hwy, Lynwood): giant outdoor screen, WC viewing parties since 2006, capacity thousands²⁹. Verify 2026 programming via their channels.
• Hub (neighborhood bars): Guelaguetza (3014 W Olympic, Mid-Wilshire); The Gold Room (1558 W Sunset, Echo Park); La Cita Bar / Las Perlas / Cranes Bar (all DTLA, open from 8am for WC)³⁰³¹; La Chuperia (3742 S Flower, near BMO/USC)³²; East Cesar Chavez Ave / Boyle Heights / Mariachi Plaza: walk the corridor, most taquerias have the TV on.
• Pre-match: Mariachi Plaza (Boyle Heights, Gold Line stop) for big El Tri matches: informal street viewings, mariachis, food vendors.
• What to know: The 2026 WC is the closest-to-home WC this diaspora has ever experienced. When Mexico wins a knockout match, Whittier Boulevard erupts: car flag parades, banderazos, the historic cruising corridor.
• Supporter terms: El Tri; "¡Sí se puede!"; "Cielito Lindo" chant; aficionado (not hincha)

England · Group L — plays Dallas, Boston, NYCYe Olde King's Head, Q's Billiards, Fox & Hounds

• Hub: Ye Olde King's Head (116 Santa Monica Blvd, Santa Monica; the most-cited LA English pub across multiple WC cycles)²⁵. Also Q's Billiards, Fox & Hounds (Studio City), Lucky Baldwin's (Pasadena), Tom Bergin's, The Pikey (Hollywood), Sonny McLean's (Santa Monica), The Olde Ship (Santa Ana/OC).
• What to know: No formal ESTC LA chapter; supporter culture is venue-rooted. Fox & Hounds historically charges $10 cover-toward-tab on big England matches²⁵.
• Supporter terms: Three Lions; "Football's Coming Home"

Germany · plays NYC, Houston, TorontoWirtshaus, Red Lion Tavern

• Hub: Wirtshaus (345 N La Brea, Mid-City — open as of May 2026²⁵); Red Lion Tavern (2366 Glendale Blvd, Silver Lake — German-themed since 1959)
• What to know: Don't call them "Die Mannschaft" (DFB abolished that branding in 2022).
• Supporter terms: die Nationalmannschaft / DFB-Elf

Brazil · Group C — plays NYC, Philadelphia, MiamiTropicalia, Pampas Grill

• Hub: Tropicalia (1966 Hillhurst, Los Feliz; batucada nights and matchday programming); Pampas Grill (Culver City; destination restaurant more than sports bar).
• Supporter terms: Seleção / Verde-Amarela / Canarinho; torcedor

Argentina · Group J — plays Kansas City, DallasGaucho Grill, Lala's Argentine Grill

• Hub: Gaucho Grill — Argentine restaurant chain running official community watch parties for every Argentina match. Four LA-area locations: Downey (8830 Apollo Way), Pasadena (455 S Lake Ave), Buena Park (5980 Orangethorpe Ave), West Covina (1129 W Covina Pkwy). Confirmed on Instagram for the Jun 17 match: jersey, bandera, Argentine community
• Also: Lala's Argentine Grill (Melrose) as a closer-in screen option
• Community channel: @gauchogrill on Instagram for per-match event announcements
• What to know: After the 2022 WC win the Mid-Wilshire corridor erupted. For any deep 2026 run, expect the same. Gaucho Grill's Pasadena and West Covina locations are positioned for the SGV Argentine community.
• Supporter terms: La Albiceleste; hincha

Korea / South Korea · Group A — plays in MexicoWilshire and Western street viewing, Escada

• Hub: Outdoor street-viewing party at Wilshire and one block east of Western (KTown): canonical pattern across 2010, 2014, 2018, and 2022, giant projection screen, thousands of red-shirted Bulgeun Akma in the street³³. Follow @koreatown on Instagram for confirmed 2026 programming. Indoor fallback: Escada (KTown).
• What to know: Korean-church-led and community-organized watch parties are a real institution here, not just bars. 24-hour KTown is the natural post-match room.
• Supporter terms: 대한민국 (Daehanminguk); 붉은 악마 (Bulgeun Akma); "Daehanminguk!" with the clap-clap-clap-clap-clap rhythm

Japan · Group F — plays Dallas, Houston, Kansas CityLittle Tokyo, Sawtelle Boulevard

• Hub: Little Tokyo (downtown) and Sawtelle Boulevard (West LA, between Olympic and Pico). Call ahead about screens; neither is sports-bar coded.
• Supporter terms: サムライブルー (Samurai Blue); chant "Nippon!"

France · Group I — plays NYC, Philadelphia, BostonPetit Trois, The Pikey

• Hub: Petit Trois (Hollywood / Sherman Oaks) for the French-coded room. The Pikey as multi-team default.
• Community channel: Lycée International de Los Angeles community channels for organized expat watch events
• Supporter terms: Les Bleus

Colombia · Group K — plays Mexico City, Guadalajara, MiamiEscada, Joxer Daly's

• Hub: Escada (KTown; named by locals during Copa America 2024³⁴). Joxer Daly's (11168 Washington Blvd, Culver City; strong Colombian turnout, kid-friendly³⁴).
• Supporter terms: La Tricolor / Los Cafeteros; hincha

African nations · Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, Egypt, Senegal, Cape Verde, Ivory Coast, DR Congo, Ghana, South AfricaSpringbok Bar & Grill, Toto's, Little Ethiopia

• Hub: Springbok Bar & Grill (Van Nuys; default Africa-coded room in metro LA, runs AFCON and international football³⁵). Toto's (Sherman Way, Van Nuys; Nigerian bar, call for Ghana/Ivory Coast/DR Congo³⁵). Little Ethiopia (Fairfax Ave; walk the corridor). Joxer Daly's (Culver City; confirmed AFCON broadcaster on request, kids welcome³⁵). The York / House of Football (Highland Park; Eastside soccer-community institution³⁶).
• What to know: After Morocco's 2022 quarter-final run, pan-Arab solidarity rooms popped up across LA. Verify 2026 Moroccan venue programming via community channels in early June.

Australia · Group D — plays Vancouver, Seattle, San FranciscoAussie X, Australian American Association

• Hub: Aussie X (Hermosa Beach; Antipodean expat anchor in the South Bay). Australian American Association of LA for formal programming.
• Supporter terms: Socceroos

Canada · Group B — plays Toronto, VancouverLucky Baldwin's, The Maple Leaf

• Hub: Lucky Baldwin's (Pasadena) picks up the Canadian crowd. The Maple Leaf (Pasadena) historically ran as a Canada-coded sports bar. Verify current operating status.
• Supporter terms: Les Rouges / Canada Soccer

Multi-team hubs

Cross-event conflicts

• LAFC and LA Galaxy are in season. Check the MLS calendar before assuming locals are available²⁷.
• Dodgers home games run June–July at Chavez Ravine. The 110 is the shared artery for Inglewood and Dodger Stadium traffic. Dodger game + SoFi matchday equals gridlock on the 110 and 105.
• LAX surge during the tournament. TSA wait times spike around USMNT matches and the QF. Build 2.5–3 hours for international, 2 hours domestic. Don't book a flight the same night as a match if you can avoid it.

Airports

Flight buffer: 2 hours minimum domestic, 3+ hours international from final whistle. Same-night red-eyes after 7pm kickoffs don't reliably work.

ICE/CBP at LAX: Federal presence at FIFA venues was confirmed during the 2025 Club WC¹⁴¹⁵. Visa-holding visitors, especially from the December 2025 expanded travel-ban list (including Iran), should brief themselves on rights at the border before arrival.