MANHATTAN BEACH, CA — Manhattan Beach is seeking nearly $1.6 million in reimbursements for security operations during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, after city employees logged more than 5,700 overtime hours protecting international soccer teams staying at a local hotel.
The city submitted three reimbursement requests totaling $1,595,608.83 to the Los Angeles World Cup Host Committee in August, according to a staff report scheduled for consideration by the City Council on Wednesday.
Of that amount, $1,406,952.66 covered eligible overtime expenses, while another $188,656.17 was requested for rental equipment, including security barriers, fencing and a generator. The reimbursement requests were still being processed when the report was prepared. It does not indicate whether the city has since received any payments.
Although the tournament's eight Los Angeles-area matches took place at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Manhattan Beach played a significant supporting role after the Westdrift Hotel was designated an official FIFA team hotel.
That designation placed the city at the center of a security operation involving local police and firefighters, federal agencies and international law enforcement representatives, with responsibility for protecting visiting players, coaches, team officials and other accredited personnel.
The city's security operation extended well beyond the hotel itself, requiring around-the-clock protection, police escorts, traffic management and emergency medical preparations. According to the report, employees recorded 4,527.48 overtime hours in June and another 1,207.25 in July, bringing the total to 5,734.73 hours.
The reimbursement request was calculated using the city's applicable fully burdened rates, which incorporate employment costs beyond base wages. Police maintained security around the Westdrift Hotel, controlled access to designated areas and coordinated team transportation with the California Highway Patrol and FIFA security personnel. Officers also managed traffic along Rosecrans Avenue, Parkview Avenue and Marriott Drive while continuing patrols downtown and along the beach.
An incident command post was established at Village Field, while the Fire Department prepared emergency medical resources and contingency plans for incidents ranging from hazardous materials emergencies to mass-casualty events. The operation was the culmination of more than a year of planning.
Between February 2025 and June 2026, city employees participated in 108 documented planning meetings, training sessions and exercises, including preparations with the U.S. Secret Service, federal emergency management officials and regional law enforcement agencies. Officials evaluated 25 potential threats and hazards, identifying crowd management, vehicle safety, fireworks, hazardous materials and cybersecurity among their highest priorities.
The tournament period also coincided with a substantial increase in hotel tax revenue, although the report does not establish how much of that growth can be attributed directly to the World Cup. Manhattan Beach collected nearly $2.5 million in transient occupancy tax revenue during June and July, an increase of $560,993 compared with approximately $1.9 million during the same period in 2025.
Revenue from short-term rental operators rose particularly sharply, climbing from $298,470 during June and July 2025 to $587,271 during the corresponding months this year. The number of reporting short-term rental locations also increased, from 104 in June 2025 to 148 in June 2026, and from 91 to 142 in July.
The additional tax revenue is separate from the city's security reimbursement requests and does not establish the tournament's overall financial impact on Manhattan Beach.
Beyond the security operation, the city installed 120 World Cup banners throughout Manhattan Beach, spending $5,821.20 on fabrication and $9,131.06 on installation, maintenance and removal. After the tournament concluded, officials began selling the banners as souvenirs, generating $8,765 from the sale of 50 banners by the time the report was prepared.
City officials also pointed to the longer-term value of the planning, training and relationships developed during the tournament, particularly as the region prepares to host the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Manhattan Beach personnel participated in regional emergency coordination operations throughout the World Cup, while communications staff worked with agencies in Inglewood and elsewhere to coordinate public information and emergency messaging.
The city intends to incorporate lessons from those operations into its preparations for the Olympics. The report recommends that the City Council receive and file the account of the city's World Cup preparations. The action itself carries no additional budget impact.
For Manhattan Beach, however, the financial accounting remains unfinished. While the city has documented nearly $1.6 million in eligible security expenses submitted for reimbursement, the report does not establish how much has been paid or when any outstanding funds might arrive.
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