The food, the fun and above all, the excitement are palpable in Santa Clarita as the 2026 FIFA World Cup approaches.
“I’m excited… especially because sports like this attract a lot of people. So, I know we are going to make good money out of it,” said Anni Martinez, a local cashier
“I think it is huge for L.A., it’s fantastic,” said Carlos Marroquin, a local business owner.
The Los Angeles area hasn’t seen this level of enthusiasm for a men’s FIFA World Cup since 1994. Exactly eight of the 78 matches are taking place solely in the U.S. Will be held at Sofi stadium… The first will be on June 12th, where the national teams of the U.S. and Paraguay will face off.
This is expected to be one of the most expensive World Cups and is coming to the U.S., including here in California. It is expected to generate approximately $30.5 billion in gross sales just in the United States alone.
“Hopefully, this time is better than the last one, because we missed a lot of money. Right now, the sales are not really strong. But we’re expecting that by mid-May the sales will go up and hopefully we will be able to sell everything,” said Marroquin.
Which dishes or foods are customers most likely to order?
“Probably the tacos or the quesadillas, that’s what we basically sell a lot,” said Martinez.
Ticket pricing from the group stages through the final game, which will take place on July 19th in New York/New Jersey, will range from $700 to almost $8,000.
This is considered the most expensive FIFA World Cup.
The World Cup will be held across three countries: Canada, the U.S., and Mexico.
And since we’re talking about local pride and the big game…do you know which team you’ll be rooting for?
