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The ownership group behind SoFi Stadium is in a dispute with FIFA over the agreement to be a host at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
SoFi Stadium, located in Los Angeles, is one of eleven venues set to host matches from the United States.
However, Kroenke Sports & Entertainment (KSE) – which owns SoFi Stadium as well as multiple sports teams – is unhappy with the terms of the agreement to host fixtures in the tournament when it comes to revenue sharing between the stadium, FIFA, and the other stadiums and cities, according to The Athletic.
It’s not clear if FIFA would consider transferring hosting duties in Los Angeles to other stadiums – such as the Rose Bowl in Pasadena or the LA Coliseum – if SoFi is unable to reach an agreement. Mail Sport has reached out to the Los Angeles FIFA World Cup Host Committee for comment on this matter.
Kroenke Sports and Entertainment and FIFA are reportedly in a dispute over revenue sharing
The dispute surrounds revenue that could be brought into SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles
The Athletic says that precise figures for each stadium and city are not clear. But according to FIFA projections from December, $11billion in revenue would be driven to the stadiums in the four years leading up to the 2026 World Cup.
Those estimates say that $3.1bn of that revenue forecast would be driven by ticket sales and hospitality.
According to The Athletic, KSE feels ‘so strongly about the matter [that] the group has threatened to walk away from hosting World Cup matches altogether, unless the deal is renegotiated by FIFA.’
Los Angeles has been one of the most important cities for soccer in the United States ever since the country began taking the sport seriously in the 1990s.
Not only was Los Angeles a founding city for Major League Soccer, but the aforementioned Rose Bowl held the finals of the 1994 men’s World Cup as well as the finals of the 1999 Women’s World Cup. The currently-named Dignity Health Sports Park in the LA suburb of Carson held the 2003 Women’s World Cup final.
In a statement to The Athletic, the Los Angeles FIFA World Cup Host Committee said, ‘We are proud to be the Los Angeles Host Committee for the FIFA World Cup 2026. Since being announced as a host city, we have been working closely with FIFA on many aspects of the event.
‘The information you have shared does not accurately reflect the content of those ongoing, collaborative conversations. Kroenke Sports & Entertainment is an invaluable partner for Los Angeles.
‘Besides having the premiere venue in the world, KSE continues to provide incredible support to our committee. With KSE as a partner, Los Angeles will deliver to the highest standard on the world stage.’
Reports claim KSE would back out of hosting matches at SoFi Stadium if a new deal isn’t made
It’s not clear if FIFA could transfer host duties to either the Rose Bowl or the LA Coliseum
The Athletic says that FIFA officials have been ‘surprised’ by the ‘tenacity’ of American cities and stadium owners during these discussions.
‘In Qatar, the perception among many observers was that the gulf state craved the prestige and privilege of hosting a tournament, with the state bearing the costs of a project estimated to have cost over $200bn,’ The Athletic’s Adam Crafton writes.
‘Now, however, FIFA is negotiating with local cities and businessmen who are seeking to run sustainable operations and fighting a harder bargain.’
SoFi Stadium was initially believed to be one of the three potential host sites for the 2026 final. It’s now believed that the two front-runners are MetLife Stadium in the New York metro area and AT&T Stadium in suburban Dallas.
Kroenke Sports and Entertainment also owns Arsenal of the English Premier League, the Los Angeles Rams of the NFL, the Denver Nuggets of the NBA, the Colorado Avalanche of the NHL, and the Colorado Rapids of MLS.
