Welcoming the World Cup to LA

We join the people of Los Angeles and California in welcoming the World Cup to LA!Team USA will kick off play at the spectacular SoFi Stadium.(Oh, and it has to be called “Team USA.” Not “USMNT,” or whatever other acronym they want us to use.)The stadium is ready.

The hotels are filling up.The traffic is — well, it’s worse than usual, but we’ll endure it for a while.Sorry about the People Mover at LAX.

It was supposed to be ready.At least our new rental car center is open.

It’s big enough to host a soccer match.There have been some legitimate gripes about the prices of tickets.But the real action is in the streets, where Angelenos have already started the party.

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By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.Never miss a story On Thursday, when the tournament opened in Mexico City, soccer fans thronged downtown LA to watch the hosts dismantle the visiting South African team.No one seemed to mind that the ref was handing out red cards like parking tickets.LA has seen better days, but we are pulling together — first for the World Cup, and then for the Olympics in 2028.

These major events have the potential to transform the city — for good, or for bad.If the leaders of LA and California can use the World Cup experience to learn what it will take to put on the Olympics — a much bigger spectacle than the event LA hosted in 1984 — then we will be in good shape to host the best Olympics ever.But we will carry a heavy burden of responsibility.Other cities pick up the slack at the World Cup.

At the Olympics, one city stars — or stumbles.We only have two years left.Let’s join together to make the Olympics a success.And let’s enjoy the World Cup!...