FIFA faces new crisis as SoFi Stadium workers in LA threaten strike action
Source: NYT
By Adam Crafton April 10, 2026 5:00 am CDT
With just over 60 days before the World Cup begins, FIFA has a new crisis on its hands: strike threats from thousands of workers at SoFi Stadium, the tournament’s host venue in Los Angeles and the site of the opening USMNT game during the tournament.
SoFi Stadium, the home of the NFL’s Los Angeles Chargers and Rams in the suburb of Inglewood, is scheduled to stage eight World Cup matches: five in the group stage, two round-of-32 games and a quarter-final.
Mauricio Pochettino’s USMNT will play two of their three group games, against Paraguay and Turkey, at the 70,000-capacity, $5.5billion (£4.1bn at current rates) venue. Opened in 2020, it is owned by Kroenke Sports & Entertainment, which also owns Premier League leaders Arsenal among a string of other U.S. sports franchises.
The threat has come from UNITE HERE Local 11, a union that represents 2,000 SoFi Stadium workers, including cooks, servers and bartenders. The union says major concerns remain for its members about the potential presence of U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement (ICE) around World Cup cities and venues this June and July.
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Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7181775/2026/04/10/fifa-sofi-workers-strike-threat-ice-infantino/
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