Since opening in 2020, the glitzy SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles has been home to both the Super Bowl and College Football Playoff National Championship.
But the venue — which took five years and $5 billion to build — might no longer be a contender for the World Cup Final in 2026 thanks to a construction error: The width of the field is much too narrow for FIFA’s taste, according to The Times.
SoFi would have to revamp its field to be 63 feet wider in order to get back in the running to stage the event. To do so, it would have to remove seats — another potential issue given that its original capacity of 70,000 might already be too modest for a World Cup Final.
The irony isn’t lost on soccer fans, who are questioning how Los Angeles Rams owner Stan Kroenke — also the owner of the Premier League club Arsenal — could have allowed for such a snafu.
If Los Angeles is out of running, the World Cup Final could be played across the country at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, which seats about 82,000. Either way, SoFi will at least get to host early-round games.
