By Adam Crafton | The Athletic
FIFA is at the center of escalating tensions with the Kroenke family, the owners of Los Angeles’ SoFi Stadium, over the terms of the agreement to be a host venue at the 2026 men’s World Cup.
However, tensions are growing between FIFA and Kroenke Sports & Entertainment (KSE), which owns not only SoFi Stadium but also the English Premier League club Arsenal, as well as the LA Rams in the NFL, the Denver Nuggets in the NBA, the Colorado Rapids in MLS and Colorado Avalanche in the NHL.
The precise figures involved for each stadium and city are not clear but FIFA projected in December that the cycle for the four years leading up to the World Cup in 2026 would drive $ 11 billion (£8.8bn) worth of revenue, with $3.1bn forecast to be driven via ticket sales and hospitality. As such, the cities and stadiums are seeking a significant slice of the pie.
Inglewood Mayor James T. Butts Jr. spoke about how the City hopes to have more hotels online by 2026 – along with a “panoply of restaurants in the Hollywood Park development.
“By the time the World Cup gets here you won’t recognize Inglewood,” said Butts.
As of now, there are no hotels in the pipeline to be built nor any announcements of incoming restaurants to the Hollywood Park development. The latest venue to open on the property is a movie theatre.
The Athletic has been told that KSE currently feels so strongly about the matter the group has threatened to walk away from hosting World Cup matches altogether unless the deal is renegotiated by FIFA.
Read the full article here.
2UrbanGirls contributed to this report.