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The hosting rights for the FIFA World Cup in 2026 are up for grabs, and the L.A Rams' SoFi Stadium may have just lost its chance to host. The massive stadium has already been used for the NFL's Super Bowl, but when it comes to soccer, the field isn't perfect.
According to a report from The Times, Arsenal owner Stan Kroenke's sensational stadium is not wide enough to accommodate playing soccer. So, how much bigger would the field need to be?
According to various reports, the field's size would need to be extended by a whopping 63 feet to comply with requirements. Yikes.
That can't be easily done either, and TMZ.com reported that in order for SoFi Stadium to comply with requirements and get that necessary 63 feet, the stadium would need to remove seats.
That is already a tough thing to do, but when you also factor in that SoFi already holds just over 70,000 fans, the minimum seating requirement to host the World Cup Final is 80,000. So, the stadium's officials are between a rock and a hard place.
USA, Mexico and Canada hosting 2026 World Cup, but Sofi Stadium could lose out
Given that the World Cup will have millions and millions of eyeballs, it makes sense that one of the NFL's best-looking stadiums is featured. But due to not meeting the requirements (as of now), there is a real chance that Los Angeles will miss out altogether.
The Dallas Cowboys' venue, AT&T Stadium, and New York’s MetLife Stadium are now thought to be the frontrunners, according to TMZ.com.
Whether or not SoFi Stadium officials can make things work to comply with FIFA's requirements is unknown, but there is a lot of work that will need to be done in order to get compliant.
Given how much money was put into the stadium, not being able to host the World Cup in 2026 would likely be considered a big blow to Los Angeles and its people, but there are rules, and right now, they aren't compliant with them.
