World Cup gives Los Angeles a chance to showcase Olympic readiness

World CupWorld Cup gives Los Angeles a chance to showcase Olympic readinessThe city is looking to spread out its World Cup celebrations beyond traditional tourist destinations.Listen to this article with a free account00:0000:00Workers affix FIFA World Cup 2026 logos and signage at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., on May 26.Michael Yanow / NurPhoto via Getty Images fileShareAdd NBC News to GoogleJune 7, 2026, 8:21 AM EDTBy Doha MadaniAll eyes will be on the World Cup host cities this summer, but perhaps none more so than Los Angeles, which is also preparing to host the 2028 Summer Olympics.Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.Not only will greater L.A. host eight games in the men’s soccer tournament, but the U.S. team will also play two of its group-stage games at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, the first of which will be on June 12 against Paraguay. That weekend will serve as a launchpad for Los Angeles’ tournament-inspired events.A $10 ticketed watch party at the L.A. Memorial Coliseum featuring brand activations will be the first of the city’s fan festival activities, Los Angeles host committee CEO Kathryn Schloessman told NBC News. After that, free events will be hosted throughout the area in designated “fan zones” such as Venice Beach, Union Station, downtown Burbank and Earvin “Magic” Johnson Park.“We didn’t think in L.A., where everything is spread out, that it wasn’t important to us to bring everybody to the same place for 39 days,” Schloessman said. “It was more important about showcasing different parts of the community. So we’re kind of kicking off with the tentpole event, and then all the other events are happening within the community.”SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., on May 27.Scott Strazzante / Getty ImagesNo matter how many times someone has been to Los Angeles, Schloessman said, she hopes that the fan zones will “drive people to places that they wouldn’t have ordinarily gone to because th...