The detail most travelers miss before booking: SoFi Stadium is not in Los Angeles. It sits in Inglewood, a separate city in southwestern LA County, about 15 kilometers from downtown LA and 7 kilometers from LAX. The neighborhood around the stadium is its own travel context — and during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, each match day is its own small expedition, not a casual walk from a Hollywood hotel.
This piece covers the match-day logistics. For where to sleep, what neighborhoods make sense as a base, and how the rest of the city works around the tournament, see the Los Angeles trip guide.
The schedule
LA hosts eight matches at SoFi between June 12 and July 10, 2026 — five group games, two Round of 32 matches, and a quarter-final, per the SoFi Stadium match schedule:
| Date | Kickoff (PT) | Stage | Matchup |
|---|---|---|---|
| June 12 | 18:00 | Group D | USA vs Paraguay |
| June 15 | 18:00 | Group G | Iran vs New Zealand |
| June 18 | 12:00 | Group B | Switzerland vs European Play-Off winner |
| June 21 | 12:00 | Group G | Belgium vs Iran |
| June 25 | 19:00 | Group D | European Play-Off winner vs USA |
| June 28 | 12:00 | Round of 32 | TBD |
| July 2 | 12:00 | Round of 32 | TBD |
| July 10 | 12:00 | Quarter-Final | TBD |
Match dates and times are confirmed; some opponents depend on the March 2026 European Play-Offs.
Getting to SoFi without a car
The Metro K Line is the practical option. The Westchester/Veterans station is roughly an 8–15 minute walk from the stadium’s south gates, depending on which entrance you’re assigned. Downtown Inglewood station is closer to the broader campus but a longer walk (around 30 minutes) to SoFi specifically.
For arrivals from LAX, the routing is: free LAX-it shuttle to Aviation/LAX station, then the K Line to Westchester/Veterans — usually 25–35 minutes total.
LA Metro is also running match-day “direct service” with additional buses to the stadium for all eight matches, with pickup points scattered across the county. The exact route list is worth checking in the week before your match, since pickup locations are being finalized closer to each game.
Getting to SoFi by car
Drivable from any LA base, but:
- Stadium parking is expensive and books out for high-demand matches.
- Pre-match traffic into Inglewood starts 2–3 hours before kickoff on the busier dates.
- Post-match traffic out is the unreliable part — budget 60–90 minutes from final whistle just to clear the area.
For most visitors, the K Line plus an Uber on the way home is cleaner than driving both directions.
Where the Fan Festival actually is (and isn’t)
The official FIFA Fan Festival runs at the LA Memorial Coliseum at Exposition Park from June 11 through June 14, with big screens, food, music, and live match viewing. Exposition Park is in central LA — closer to USC and the Expo Line than to SoFi — so it’s a separate trip from the stadium itself, not a pre-match warm-up zone.
The short window matters: the festival only covers the tournament’s first four days. Visitors arriving for matches later in June or July won’t have an official Fan Fest to attend. Sports bars, neighborhood watch parties, and informal fan zones around Hollywood, Downtown, and Santa Monica fill the gap.
Where to base for the match days
For a single match, sleep wherever the rest of your week is — Westside, central LA, Hollywood, Pasadena — and treat the stadium as a cross-town day. The K Line works from most of central LA.
For two or more matches in close succession (a group game plus a Round of 32, say), one or two nights in Inglewood itself can save real time. The neighborhood is mid-quality for travelers — solid food, limited nightlife, lots of stadium-driven activity — so it’s a tactical short stay, not a vacation base.
Match-day pacing
Mid-day kickoffs (noon and 12:00 starts on June 18, 21, 28; July 2, 10) are during the hottest part of the inland summer. Inglewood sits in that warmer half of LA’s climate range; afternoon temperatures of 30–35°C in late June and July are normal. Plan accordingly:
- Pre-hydrate the day before
- Bring an empty refillable bottle (allowed inside; refill stations exist)
- Sun cover for queues and the walk to the stadium
- The 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. kickoffs (June 12, 15, 25) sit just past the worst heat
Post-match: getting back
The K Line keeps running, but the trains immediately after the match are crowded. Walking 10 minutes away from the stadium before requesting an Uber typically saves both time and money compared to standing in the official pickup zone.
For travelers staying in Hollywood, Downtown, or the Westside, expect 60–90 minutes door-to-door on a normal match night, more after the USA matches and the knockout games.
Match details (dates, kickoff times, stages) are confirmed by SoFi Stadium and the LA Host Committee. Transit guidance is based on LA Metro’s official match-day service plans. All accurate as of June 11, 2026; pickup locations and shuttle routes are still being finalized for the later matches — verify with LA Metro the week before your game.
