USMNT’s First World Cup Game Thrown Into Jeopardy by Stadium Strike

The Stars and Stripes are scheduled to kick off Group D against Paraguay at the SoFi Stadium on Friday.

SoFi Stadium plays host to the USMNT’s World Cup opener. | Scott Strazzante/Getty Images

Less than a week before the U.S. men’s national team kicks off its 2026 World Cup campaign in Los Angeles, around 2,000 stadium workers at SoFi Stadium authorized a strike.

The venue’s hospitality staff, represented by UNITE HERE Local 11, are demanding better pay and security, the latter due to the expected presence of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at this summer’s tournament.

The Department of Homeland Security previously insisted ICE workers would be at stadiums solely to assist with security, targeting counterfeiters and traffickers, not conducting civil immigration enforcement that has become synonymous with President Donald Trump’s administration.

Yet the workers at SoFi Stadium are still fearful of their safety, largely influencing their decision to strike. “The main concern, first of all, is the ICE issue being on the grounds,” worker Yolanda Fierro said, via CBS News.

“Myself and my co-workers are a little bit scared of coming to work, because I do have a lot of employees that are here on working visas from different countries.”

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What the Strike Means for the World Cup

SoFi Stadium will host eight matches this summer. | Scott Strazzante/Getty Images

UNITE HERE Local 11 confirmed 96% of its members agreed to strike after the ongoing concerns from the union went without a solution over the last few months. Yet just because the strike was authorized does not mean it will happen.

The thousands of bartenders, servers, cooks and dishwashers working at SoFi Stadium now have the authority to walk off the job, but that’s only if no resolution is found before the World Cup kicks off.

Legends Global, which manages hospitality at SoFi Stadium, is set to come back to the negotiating table with UNITE HERE Local 11 on Monday, June 8. The company have already agreed to minimal wage increases, but the union wants additional security against potential federal immigration raids.

“We look forward to delivering an outstanding hospitality experience for fans at the FIFA World Cup matches at SoFi Stadium,” Legends Global said in a statement.

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Another Controversey Added to the 2026 World Cup Backdrop

Gianni Infantino has had to field countless non-soccer related questions ahead of the 2026 World Cup. | Don MacKinnon/AFP/Getty Images

The 2026 World Cup, unfolding across the United States, Canada and Mexico, has been marred by a growing list of controversies in the build-up to the showpiece event. From outlandish ticket prices and hiked transportation fares to immigration threats and boycott rumblings, the tournament has drawn far more non-soccer related headlines than perhaps FIFA envisioned.

The U.S.’s military conflict with Iran muddied the waters even further, with President Trump discouraging the country from participating in the World Cup.

A potential strike thrown into the mix at a stadium slated to host eight matches is another stain on a tournament that hasn’t even kicked off yet. The USMNT begins its campaign under the lights in Inglewood, Calif. on June 12 against Paraguay. Mauricio Pochettino’s men then travel to Seattle to take on Australia before returning to SoFi Stadium to face Türkiye in the final Group D clash.

The home of the NFL’s Rams and Chargers also hosts three more group stage matches, as well as two round of 32 clashes and a quarterfinal. Without any hospitality staff to tend to the expected 70,000 fans, attending said matches would be nothing short of a disaster.

“What good is the World Cup for Los Angeles when workers don’t earn enough to pay the rent and must choose between showing up and being kidnapped by ICE?” said co-president of UNITED HERE Local 11, Kurt Petersen, via ESPN. “If we’re forced to strike, those $100,000 FIFA suites will have nothing but bottled water and Doritos.”

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