Sports
Why SoFi might be odd stadium out for 2026 World Cup final
Southern California learned 20 months ago it would be hosting games for the 2026 World Cup. This weekend it will find out exactly which games it will get and when they’ll be played.
On Sunday the match schedule for the largest and most complicated World Cup in history will be announced by FIFA at noon Pacific time on Fox and Telemundo, the U.S. rights-holders for the tournament. And it might not go the way the Los Angeles World Cup host committee had hoped.
Multiple media reports in the U.S. and England have said the July final will be played in AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, the 100,000-seat retractable-roof home of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys. Those reports remain unconfirmed and Larry Freedman, a co-chair of the L.A. host committee, repeatedly has argued that Inglewood’s SoFi Stadium, the center of a palatial $5.5-billion complex built by Rams owner Stan Kroenke, should get that match.
MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., is also in the running for the championship game.
The finals of the previous three World Cups held in the U.S. — the 1994 men’s tournament and the 1999 and 2003 women’s competitions — were played at the Rose Bowl and Dignity Health Sports Park. Yet for all its grandeur, SoFi Stadium, the only local venue chosen for the 2026 tournament, has some inherent problems.
World Cup games must be played on natural grass and SoFi, like seven of the other tournament venues, including AT&T and MetLife, has artificial turf. That can be remedied by covering the playing surface with a grass carpet.
More troublesome is the fact that SoFi’s field, built with the NFL in mind, is too narrow for soccer and FIFA is demanding expensive modifications to bring the pitch up to code. Kroenke reportedly agreed to spend millions on the upgrades, which are scheduled to begin Monday, but sought assurances the stadium would be awarded a marquee match in exchange.
SoFi Stadium in Inglewood could host up to eight World Cup games in 2026. It’s artificial turf will need to be replaced with natural grass and the field will be modified to meet FIFA specifications.
(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
However the stadium might be too small and too far from Europe to get the final.
SoFi squeezed in just 70,048 people for the 2022 Super Bowl and extending the playing surface will require removing seats in the lower bowl, dropping the capacity well below the 80,000 seats FIFA requires for a World Cup final. AT&T Stadium, on the other hand, easily can accommodate more than 90,000 people after making modifications to the field. That gives Arlington a huge advantage over SoFi and MetLife, said Alan Rothenberg, the former U.S. Soccer president who was the driving force behind the 1994 World Cup, still the most successful ever.
“It’s a financially driven decision. It’s clear that the stadium capacity that they have is so much greater,” said Rothenberg, whose sports marketing agency, Playfly Premier Partnerships, is advising a half-dozen 2026 host cities. “The suites probably all balance out. But more than anything else, it’s the stadium capacity. It means a lot of revenue for them.”
FIFA can waive its rules regarding stadium capacity but it can’t change the time, and central Europe is nine hours ahead of Inglewood, meaning a SoFi final would have to kick off by noon to end before midnight for television viewers on the continent.
Rothenberg doesn’t think that’s an issue.
“If you’re talking about heat in the summer, what’s the difference between noon and 3?” said Rothenberg, whose 1994 final at the Rose Bowl kicked off at 12:30 in 100-degree temperatures. “This is so big, if they did it at 9 in the morning, this would still be a sold-out, massive event.”
SoFi still is likely to be awarded some significant games. With the World Cup expanding to 48 teams, 104 games and 16 cities spread throughout the U.S., Mexico and Canada, some venues could get as many eight games, said a spokesperson for the Los Angeles host committee.
FIFA officials are known to be infatuated with both the Southern California market and SoFi Stadium, which has a panoply of luxury boxes and tunnel entrances, exactly the kind of opulence and faux privacy the federation’s royalty loves. Stadiums need just 60,000 seats to stage a semifinal, according to FIFA’s often-elastic regulations, and in recent months, as the final increasingly appeared out of reach, members of the L.A. organizing committee quietly acknowledged a final-four game or even the U.S. team’s group-play opener would be acceptable.
There are potential hiccups with that plan too. The Athletic reported Thursday that U.S. Soccer and coach Gregg Berhalter will have a say in where the Americans train, play and travel during the World Cup, and with the federation moving its national training center to Atlanta, Berhalter might prefer keeping his team on the East Coast through the group stage.
“From L.A.’s standpoint, if we can’t get the final, the hope is eight games, hopefully an opening and certainly a semi and maybe a quarter if possible,” said Rothenberg, who lives on the West Side but is not a member of the local organizing committee. “I’d be disappointed if we don’t get that.”
The match schedule was expected to be released last fall but was delayed several months as FIFA officials paid additional visits to the host cities, 11 in the U.S., two in Canada and three in Mexico. In addition to the size of the playing surfaces and stadium capacities, World Cup organizers also appeared to worry about the weather. North America was rocked by severe weather last summer, raising concerns that similar conditions could impact the tournament. That likely worked to AT&T Stadium’s favor as well since its retractable roof makes it one of the largest air-conditioned rooms in the world.
Geography also favors AT&T Stadium. Arlington is a three-hour flight from Los Angeles and just an hour more from New York, which would allow FIFA to play semifinals on both coasts and have the winners meet in the middle for the final.
Yet regardless of who gets what game, Rothenberg said the real work for the 16 host cities will begin after Sunday’s announcement, which will leave them with just more than two years to get ready.
“They’ve been waiting a long time,” he said. “So they’re going to be delighted and relieved. And also realize now that they’ve got to entertain the burden of making this thing happen in a couple of years.”
Sports
Anthony Richardson free to seek trade after injury setbacks amid Colts’ shift to Daniel Jones
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Anthony Richardson Sr.’s future in Indianapolis faces more uncertainty than ever.
The Indianapolis Colts granted Anthony Richardson, the team that used the fourth overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft on the quarterback, permission to explore a trade. His agent, Deiric Jackson, confirmed the latest development in the 23-year-old’s tumultuous career to ESPN on Thursday.
Veteran quarterback Daniel Jones beat out Richardson in a preseason competition for the starting job. Jones made the most of another opportunity as an NFL starter, helping the Colts win eight of their first 10 games of the 2025 regular season.
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson heads off the field after an NFL football game against the Denver Broncos on Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024 in Denver, Colorado. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
However, his season was ultimately derailed by an Achilles injury. The setback came two years after he tore an ACL with the New York Giants. The Colts appear ready to move forward with Jones, clouding Richardson’s future in Indianapolis.
Jones is set to become a free agent in March, meaning the Colts must either use the franchise tag or sign him to a new deal. Richardson has started just 15 games in three seasons with the Colts, his tenure largely shaped by injuries.
A shoulder surgery limited Richardson to four games during his rookie campaign, while a series of setbacks cost him four games in 2024.
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson (5) looks for an open receiver during the game against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium. (Troy Taormina/Imagn Images)
Richardson suffered what was described as a “freak pregame incident” during warmups last season, landing him on injured reserve after attempting just two passes in two games in 2025. He has thrown 11 touchdowns against 13 interceptions in his NFL career.
Colts general manager Chris Ballard said Tuesday that the vision problems stemming from Richardson’s orbital fracture last October are “trending in the right direction.” He added that Richardson has been “cleared to play.”
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson (5) celebrates his touchdown against the New York Jets during the fourth quarter at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Brad Penner/Imagn Images)
Riley Leonard, a sixth-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, is expected to return to the Colts next season.
When asked about Richardson’s standing with the Colts moving ahead, Ballard replied, “I still believe in Anthony.”
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William Hudson, a 14-year-old freshman golfer, shot 71 on Monday at Western Hills Country Club in Chino Hills to win the Servite Invitational.
“It was very important to me and my school,” Hudson said.
Some think it’s the first time a St. John Bosco student won an invitational title.
Hudson is a straight-A student who picked up his first golf club when he was 3. He has a daily routine involving practicing at 6 a.m. before heading to school. He’s also enrolled in a school entrepreneur program that involves taking classes at a junior college that will qualify for college credits.
“They are long days, but I get through it,” Hudson said.
He comes from a family that enjoys golf. His great-grandfather played until his death at 98 last year.
“I love how it can take me to interesting places and meet interesting people,” Hudson said. “I can play for the rest of my life. It’s a lifelong sport.”
It’s looking like another strong year for golfers in Southern California, with several individual champions returning, including Jaden Soong of St. Francis and Grant Leary of Crespi.
Now Hudson has thrust himself into the conversation.
This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.
Sports
Dashcam video shows former WWE executive Vince McMahon rear-ending vehicle on Connecticut highway
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Police have released new video showing former WWE Chairman Vince McMahon speeding before crashing his 2024 Bentley Continental GT into another luxury car on a Connecticut highway last summer.
McMahon appeared to be followed by a state trooper in Westport moments ahead of the eventual collision. McMahon’s vehicle reached speeds of more than 100 mph, state police said.
A trooper’s dashcam video showed McMahon accelerating and then braking too late to avoid rear-ending a BMW. The car McMahon was driving then swerved into a guardrail and careened back across the highway. A cloud of dirt, apparently mixed with vehicle debris, was visible in the immediate area of the crash.
WWE owner Vince McMahon enters the arena during WrestleMania at AT&T Stadium on Apr 3, 2022 in Arlington, Texas. (Joe Camporeale/USA Today Sports)
“Why were you driving all over 100 mph?” a state trooper asked McMahon after catching up to the wrecked Bentley.
“I got my granddaughter’s birthday,” McMahon replied, explaining he was on his way to see her. The encounter was recorded on police bodycam video.
No serious injuries were reported in the July 24 crash, which happened the same day former professional wrestler Hulk Hogan died of a heart attack in Florida.
In an image taken from Connecticut State Police police bodycam video, Vince McMahon is questioned in his car after an accident on July 24, 2025, in Westport, Connecticut. (Connecticut State Police via The Associated Press)
Aside from the damage to the rear of the BMW, another vehicle driving on the opposite side of the parkway was struck by flying debris. The driver of that third car happened to be wearing a WWE shirt, police video suggested.
McMahon was cited for reckless driving and following too closely. In October, a state judge allowed him to enter a pretrial probation program that could erase the charges if he completes it successfully.
He was also ordered to make a $1,000 charitable contribution. His attorney, Mark Sherman, called the crash simply an “accident.”
“Not every car accident is a crime,” Sherman said. “Vince’s primary concern during this case was for the other drivers and is appreciative that the court saw this more of an accident than a crime that needed to be prosecuted.”
Vince McMahon attends a press conference to announce that WWE Wrestlemania 29 will be held at MetLife Stadium in 2013 at MetLife Stadium on Feb. 16, 2012 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Michael N. Todaro/Getty Images)
State police said a trooper was trying to catch up to McMahon on the parkway and clock his speed before pulling him over. They said the incident was not a pursuit, which happens when police chase someone trying to flee officers. They also said it did not appear McMahon was trying to escape.
“I’m trying to catch up to you, and you keep taking off,” State Police Det. Maxwell Robins said in the video.
“No, no no. I’m not trying to outrun you,” McMahon clarified.
An accident information summary provided to the media shortly after the crash did not mention that a trooper was following McMahon.
The trooper’s bodycam video also shows him asking McMahon whether he was looking at his phone when the crash happened. McMahon said he was not and added he hadn’t driven his car in a long time.
After Robins tells McMahon that his car is fast, McMahon replies, “Yeah, too (expletive) fast.”
Fox News Digital submitted a public records request to obtain the police video, which was first acquired by The Sun.
McMahon stepped down as WWE’s CEO in 2022 amid a company investigation into sexual misconduct allegations. He also resigned as executive chairman of the board of directors of TKO Group Holdings, the parent company of WWE, in 2024, a day after a former WWE employee filed a sexual abuse lawsuit against him. McMahon has denied the allegations. The lawsuit remains pending.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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