LOS ANGELES, CA — Fanfare over the upcoming World Cup has reached a fever pitch, and the pandemonium will descend on Los Angeles with an opening ceremony putting the Golden State on the world stage on June 12.
The upcoming events were created by Marco Balich, the Italian producer behind the memorable Milan Cortina Winter Olympics earlier this year. He told NBC the ceremonies' unifying theme will be "the celebration of sports, the passion for soccer, symbolized by the cup itself," Balich said. "The idea is to narrate with three points of view and languages," using design aesthetics representative of each culture.
SEE ALSO: Free FIFA World Cup Tickets Available For Veterans, Military, First Responders
Los Angeles will play a major role in the event. Inglewood's SoFi Stadium — known as Los Angeles Stadium during FIFA competition — is among the venues. Throughout the tournament, games are will be played at SoFi and Levi's Stadium in San francisco.
The U.S. opens its World Cup campaign against Paraguay on June 12 in Inglewood.
Up first, Los Angeles will host five group-stage matches:
LA will also host three knockout-round contests during the tournament, with opponents to be determined based on their performance in earlier matches:
World Cup Matches In San Francisco
In San Francisco, Levi's Stadium will host six matches at the FIFA World Cup 2026. San Francisco will host five group-stage games, including Qatar, Switzerland, Austria, Jordan, Paraguay, Algeria and Australia, and one round of 32 fixture, with the knockout game being played on July 1.
The schedule includes:
A detailed schedule is available on FIFA's website.
1. Who will be performing at the opening ceremony in Los Angeles?
The opening ceremonies in all host countries boast international performers from multiple genres. At SoFi Stadium, American pop singer Katy Perry, pop singer LISA, Afrobeats singer Rema, Brazilian pop singer Anitta, and rapper Future will headline the opening ceremony on Friday.
2. What is the 2026 World Cup schedule?
Mexico City and South Africa will go head-to-head in the first match hosted in Mexico City on June 11, 4:30 PM EST, followed by Canada-Bosnia and Herzegovina in Toronto on June 12 at 1:30 PM EST.
The Los Angeles opening ceremony will be held at SoFi stadium at 4:30 p.m. before the U.S. versus Paraguay matchup.
The performances will culminate with the 2026 FIFA World Cup on July 19, featuring the first-ever halftime show with headline performances from Madonna, BTS, and Shakira at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
3. Have tickets sold out for the 2026 World Cup USA Game In Los Angeles?
As of 9 a.m. Tuesday, tickets were still available. Ticket prices have been a widespread concern, including President Donald Trump who took issue with the costs.
"I would certainly like to be there, but I wouldn't pay it either to be honest with you," he told the New York Post.
Fans hoping to attend World Cup matches in LA may still be able to find seats — even for the U.S.'s tournament opener.
According to NPR, tickets remained available just days before the U.S. men's national team's Friday against Paraguay, an unusual situation for what is typically one of the most sought-after games of the tournament.
NPR reported that FIFA's ticketing platform still showed tickets available for the match, while resale marketplaces listed thousands more.
Industry experts told NPR that high prices appear to be the main reason. The publication reported that the most expensive standard tickets for the U.S.-Paraguay match were listed at $2,735, while the lowest-priced seats started at $1,120.
More info about tickets is available on FIFA's website.
4. What is the forecast for Los Angeles on Friday?
The World Cup will arrive in Los Angeles just as temperatures shift into a warmer pattern on Friday thanks to an an upper level trough pushing through the Pacific Northwest beginning to weaken, according to the National Weather Service. By the evening, when the match starts at 6 p.m., temperatures will be in the lower 70s, before diving to the mid-60s when the game ends.
There is a 20 percent chance a heat advisory could be issued on Friday, according to National Weather Service..
5. Is there a chance ongoing labor negotiations could affect the game?
Labor negotiations between UNITE HERE Local 11, which represents SoFi Stadium employees, is ongoing after workers asked for higher pay, improved safety regulations, and to restrict ICE agents' access to the stadium. The possibility of stalled negotiations into Friday has triggered fears some 70,000 fans would be impacted by security, parking, concessions and more.
SoFi has about 2,000 employees. The contract negotiations were expected to resume Tuesday morning.
6. How To Get To The Games?
Officials are strongly encouraging fans to skip driving and use public transit to get to World Cup matches and events across the region.
In Los Angeles, Metro is launching special World Cup shuttle service to SoFi Stadium from 15 locations across Los Angeles and Orange counties, including Union Station, Santa Monica, North Hollywood, Long Beach, Torrance, Anaheim and several locations near LAX.
Shuttle rides will cost $1.75 each way, with service beginning up to three hours before kickoff and continuing after matches.
Regional transit providers are also expanding service during the tournament.
Metrolink plans additional rail service on match days, while Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner is adding late-night trains from Los Angeles and requiring reservations throughout the World Cup.
Fans traveling from San Diego, Orange County, Santa Barbara and other parts of Southern California will be able to connect through Union Station to stadium shuttle service and other World Cup destinations.
In San Francisco, authorities are urging mass transit or ridesharing as parking will be extremely limited. The Bay Area Host Comittee recommends:
Patch Local Editor Chris Lindahl contributed to this report.
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