The mammoth, complex and controversial FIFA World Cup has ended, but for Los Angeles, an even bigger challenge looms on the horizon.
Read more ‘The last picture’: A passing boater’s photograph may be the 5 adults who drowned in Ohio
Eight World Cup matches brought more than half a million spectators to Inglewood’s SoFi Stadium. Metro provided more than 200,000 match-related rides through its enhanced transportation service. The FIFA Fan Festival and 10 official Los Angeles-area fan zones welcomed hundreds of thousands of participants, while more than 300 additional community activations unfolded across Southern California in parks, museums, restaurants, cultural institutions and neighborhood streets.
Yet the most important result may not be found in a final attendance count. For six weeks, the World Cup gave Los Angeles a live test of the systems, partnerships and public expectations that will shape the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Cities and agencies practiced moving crowds, coordinating public safety, recruiting volunteers, activating neighborhoods and connecting global attention to local businesses.
The World Cup showed that Los Angeles can host the world. It also revealed what the region must do better before the world returns, according to some of the folks we talked to.
Here are nine leaders and experts closest to the planning, delivery and analysis of the tournament, and the lessons they believe Los Angeles must carry into LA28.
Kathryn Schloessman
President and CEO, Los Angeles Sports & Entertainment Commission
After eight years of preparation, Kathryn Schloessman expected the World Cup to bring international visibility, visitors and economic activity to Los Angeles. What surprised her was the extent to which the celebration spread beyond the stadium.
“The community impact exceeded our expectations, the greatest joy was seeing families come together and create memories that will last for years,” Schloessman said. “Seeing people come together at fan festivals and fan zones, cheering for their countries, wearing their jerseys and waving their flags was incredibly exciting. You don’t see that kind of camaraderie in any other sport.”
While FIFA staged eight matches at SoFi Stadium, communities across Southern California created more than 300 related activations. Museums, cities, nonprofits, businesses and cultural organizations developed youth clinics, watch parties, exhibitions, festivals and neighborhood celebrations.
Those public experiences became especially important because many residents could not afford tickets. The most expensive seat inside SoFi Stadium was not the only entrance into the World Cup. For thousands of families, the tournament was experienced from a folding chair in a park, a large screen on a neighborhood street or a restaurant filled with supporters wearing national-team jerseys.
Schloessman believes that lesson must shape LA28. Most Angelenos will not attend an Olympic competition in person. Their memories will instead be defined by what happens in their own neighborhoods and whether they believe the Games belonged to them.
Creating that access, however, requires money. Schloessman noted that the local host effort did not receive revenue from match tickets, stadium concessions, parking or other valuable commercial assets. Community programming had to be financed through corporate, philanthropic and public partnerships.
Schloessman’s take: What LA28 should carry forward…
–Fund neighborhood programming as seriously and as early as venue operations.
–Create affordable ticket opportunities specifically for local residents.
–Build public experiences throughout Southern California rather than around a single central district.
–Measure success by community participation, not only stadium attendance.
–Secure private and philanthropic partners well before the Games begin.
Paul Krekorian and Amanda Daflos
Executive Director, Office of Major Events, City of Los Angeles
Deputy Mayor, Office of Strategic Partnerships, City of Los Angeles
At more than 100 Kick It in the Park events held across 19 Los Angeles recreation sites, residents encountered large-screen match viewing, soccer activities, cultural programming and city services without buying a ticket or paying an admission fee.
Approximately 40,000 people participated, according to Krekorian. Across the entire program, the city reported no emergency calls for service or significant public-safety incidents.
Behind those apparently effortless afternoons was a complex government operation involving parks employees, transportation planners, emergency personnel, sanitation workers, permit officials, volunteers, sponsors, nonprofits and private contractors.
“The human process was how to integrate the planning of many disparate subject-matter experts and deliver a unified product that, to residents, just seemed like a fun event at the park,” Krekorian said. “They didn’t see how much went into making it happen, and we wanted them to have that experience.”
The city also coordinated with organizers of the FIFA Fan Festival and official fan zones, learning how to work across departments and jurisdictions to manage transportation, safety, permitting and neighborhood impacts.
“We learned how to work together across departments and jurisdictions—to anticipate potential problems, respond resiliently and implement plans efficiently,” Krekorian said. “That gives us a base of data and knowledge we will use to prepare for 2028.”
Daflos identified another return: what she describes as civic joy.
Preliminary city surveys found that 96% of attendees said the neighborhood programming made them feel Los Angeles cared more about their community. Ninety-three percent reported greater pride in being Angelenos, and 87% said the experience made them more likely to return to their local park.
More than 200 volunteers contributed approximately 1,000 hours, with 95% rating the experience positively. The program included repeat participants, residents with disabilities and volunteers who became increasingly connected to their communities.
That test was modest compared with what lies ahead. City officials anticipate needing more than 10,000 volunteers for municipal Olympic programming, in addition to the approximately 75,000 volunteers expected to support LA28.
Krekorian and Daflos’ take: What LA28 should carry forward…
–Preserve the cross-department relationships developed during the World Cup.
–Document operational lessons now while they remain fresh.
–Begin recruiting and training an inclusive volunteer workforce early.
–Continue measuring neighborhood pride, repeat attendance and public trust.
–Make the Olympic experience joyful and accessible without exposing residents to the complexity behind it.
Adam Burke
President and CEO, Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board
International visitors did not arrive in Los Angeles simply to enter SoFi Stadium and leave.
They stayed, ate and traveled across Santa Monica, Hollywood, Downtown Los Angeles, Venice, Inglewood, Long Beach, the South Bay and other communities. World Cup visitors treated Southern California as a regional destination, regardless of municipal boundaries.
That matters because international tourism is among the region’s most valuable economic sectors. Tourism supports more than 530,000 jobs, approximately $43 billion in annual local business sales and roughly $300 million in City of Los Angeles General Fund revenue, according to Los Angeles Tourism.
Burke said overseas visitors tend to spend approximately three times more than domestic travelers. He also said the tournament helped counter negative international perceptions of the United States at a critical moment for inbound travel.
“With hundreds of thousands of visitors during the World Cup and an estimated six billion global viewers, the last month has done more to restore the image of the U.S. than we could have imagined,” Burke said.
“Through the Beautiful Game, the way international visitors have been embraced by L.A. and the other host cities has reminded the global community that travel and tourism transcends politics.”
The World Cup also demonstrated how difficult tournament travel can be to predict. Fans often waited to determine whether their teams would advance and where they would play before booking rooms. Some hotels initially underperformed expectations, while other destinations—particularly Santa Monica and other leisure-oriented areas—experienced stronger demand.
The Olympics will be different. Spectators will know that their events are concentrated in Southern California, making travel patterns more predictable and creating an opportunity to design regional itineraries before visitors arrive.
Burke’s take: What LA28 should carry forward…
–Market Los Angeles County and Southern California as one connected destination.
–Encourage Olympic visitors to explore neighborhoods beyond the venues.
–Develop cultural, dining and small-business itineraries around transit corridors.
–Continue rebuilding confidence among international travelers.
–Measure repeat visitation long after the closing ceremony.
Mayor James T. Butts Jr.
Mayor of Inglewood
No community carried more of the tournament’s direct operational burden than Inglewood.
The city hosted all eight Los Angeles-area matches, absorbing the crowds, security requirements, street closures and business activity generated by approximately half a million spectators, but the tournament’s effects extended beyond SoFi Stadium.
Thousands of people traveled to Inglewood without tickets simply to participate in the surrounding atmosphere. Market Street’s Wood Cup celebrations filled local businesses and gave residents a place to gather outside the venue.
Butts said approximately $17 million was spent in Inglewood during the eight-match run, while businesses reported foot-traffic increases of roughly 55% to 60% on match days.
Equally significant was what did not happen. Only three arrests connected to tournament activity were reported across all eight matches, all involving public intoxication, according to Butts. A joint operations center brought together Inglewood police, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, federal agencies and other security partners around the clock.
That result demonstrated that an event of extraordinary scale can produce economic activity while preserving public confidence. It did not eliminate neighborhood disruption. Residents still experienced traffic, road closures and the realities of living next to one of the world’s most prominent sports and entertainment districts. Butts said future mega-events should include greater consideration for affected neighborhoods and more discounted ticket opportunities for local residents.
Read more Need backup power? Automakers want you to look no further than their vehicles in your driveway
Butts’ take: What LA28 should carry forward…
–Engage surrounding communities before operational plans are finalized.
–Create meaningful ticket access for residents living near venues.
–Preserve the joint-command public-safety model.
–Track neighborhood business activity, not merely regional spending.
–Acknowledge and mitigate the daily burden placed on host communities.
Holly J. Mitchell
Los Angeles County Supervisor, Second District
At Earvin “Magic” Johnson Recreation Area, residents could exit Metro near Avalon Boulevard and walk through a temporarily closed street to reach a county fan zone offering match viewing, food vendors, entertainment and youth programming.
Mitchell said visitors repeatedly expressed surprise at how manageable it was to reach the event without a car. “If you build it, they will come,” she said.
For Mitchell, the lesson was both operational and equitable. Many residents could not afford or obtain match tickets. That did not mean the World Cup should remain inaccessible to them. By bringing the experience to a public park in Willowbrook, Los Angeles County made the tournament visible in a community that might otherwise have experienced it only through television. “It was more than going to a match, but having the experience in your community,” Mitchell said.
The events also created opportunities for food vendors, small businesses and local organizations. The longer-term value of those opportunities must still be measured. A successful festival weekend does not necessarily translate into durable growth unless businesses gain customers, contracts and relationships that continue after the event.
Mitchell also cautioned that the World Cup’s transit success depended on additional buses, personnel and enhanced service. Metro will require sufficient state and federal support to expand operations for the Olympics without compromising service for residents who rely on public transportation every day.
Mitchell’s take: What LA28 should carry forward:
–Bring Olympic programming into communities far from competition venues.
–Connect neighborhood fan zones directly to Metro and other transit systems.
–Protect ordinary transit service while expanding mega-event operations.
–Track revenue and customer growth for participating small businesses.
–Evaluate equity and accessibility alongside attendance and economic impact.
Stephen Cheung
President and CEO, Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation and World Trade Center Los Angeles
Pre-event projections placed the World Cup’s near-term economic impact across Los Angeles County at approximately $892 million, including an estimated $515 million in direct visitor spending and $377 million in follow-on activity.
Cheung emphasized that those figures remain projections — not confirmed results. Hotel performance, visitor surveys, credit-card spending, airport arrivals, tax receipts, transportation activity and business revenue will need to be collected and reconciled before a credible assessment can be completed. A preliminary analysis may take three to six months, while the more meaningful examination should continue six months and one year after the tournament.
The central question, Cheung said, is not simply how much money moved through the regional economy. It is who received it. A billion dollars in activity can appear impressive while revealing little about whether locally owned businesses, microbusinesses, minority- and women-owned firms, workers and neighborhoods participated in the opportunity.
The final analysis should distinguish between visitors who traveled specifically for the tournament, those who extended an existing trip and those who would have visited Los Angeles regardless. It should also account for regular travelers who may have avoided the region because of anticipated crowds, costs or traffic.
Before LA28 procurement begins, Cheung believes Los Angeles should establish common measurement standards, local-business participation goals and a countywide system to help vendors become contract-ready.
Fan zones should also be designed as economic-development strategies, not merely viewing locations. Connecting public events to commercial districts, restaurants, cultural institutions and neighborhood businesses would give Olympic visitors reasons to spend locally.
Cheung’s take: What LA28 should carry forward…
–Establish a countywide small-business procurement and readiness system.
–Set participation goals before contracts are awarded.
–Track spending by geography, industry, business size and ownership.
–Create a regional data platform shared by cities, agencies and tourism organizations.
–Measure whether jobs, customers and contracts remain after the Games.
Frank Cooper III
Chief Marketing Officer, Visa
As a partner of both the FIFA World Cup and LA28, Visa viewed the two events not as separate sponsorships but as one extended cultural and economic platform.
Cooper said what stood out during the World Cup was how international visitors responded to Los Angeles hospitality, local businesses and the region’s established soccer culture. “It was a powerful mix of football and L.A. culture integrated into commerce,” Cooper said.
The World Cup reinforced his belief that sponsorship creates the greatest value when it helps people and businesses participate in the event rather than simply placing a corporate name beside it. “The brands that leave a lasting impact are the ones that turn global attention into local opportunity for small businesses, entrepreneurs and communities,” Cooper said.
Major sporting events create what he described as a “pop-up economy,” producing temporary demand for restaurants, retailers, vendors, transportation providers and other local services. The challenge is ensuring businesses have the technology, infrastructure and information necessary to capture it.
Cooper also sees fandom changing. The modern sports experience is no longer confined to stadium attendance or television broadcasts. Social media, gaming, creator content and digital commerce increasingly influence how fans experience global events.
For LA28, businesses will need convenient, secure systems that allow visitors to pay and local merchants to be paid. The more lasting opportunity is to leave small businesses with improved digital capabilities and customer access after the Olympic crowds depart.
Cooper’s take: What LA28 should carry forward…
–Ask sponsors to create direct opportunities for local businesses.
–Prepare merchants with payment technology and technical assistance before visitors arrive.
–Recognize social media, gaming and creators as part of the fan experience.
–Build sponsorship platforms that last beyond short-term promotions.
–Measure success by participation and local commerce, not only brand impressions.
Professor Stephen Bank
UCLA School of Law
Bank cautions against treating any single spending projection as the final verdict on a mega-event.
Economic estimates can change as analysts revise assumptions about attendance, visitor behavior, lodging, media exposure and future travel. Final hotel receipts, sales-tax collections, business performance and employment data may take months to reconcile.
Bank argues that public investment should also be evaluated through a more fundamental question: Did government spend money on something residents genuinely wanted and used?
A public celebration does not necessarily need to generate a direct profit to possess value. Cities invest in parks, libraries, recreation centers and cultural spaces because they serve communities, not because they produce conventional financial returns.
By that standard, the widespread use of World Cup fan zones, public parks and watch parties matters. Residents clearly wanted to participate, even when they never entered the stadium.
The World Cup also exposed the limits of local control. Los Angeles could manage streets, transit, parks and public safety, but it could not independently determine FIFA’s ticket prices, commercial rules, competition structure or international policies.
The same tension will return in 2028. International sports organizations and LA28 will control important elements of the Olympic product, while local governments will carry much of the responsibility for transportation, safety, public programming and neighborhood impacts.
Bank believes Los Angeles must enter those relationships with a clear understanding of authority, costs and public obligations.
Bank’s take: What LA28 should carry forward…
–Evaluate public value as well as financial return.
–Distinguish projections from verified results.
–Account transparently for government spending and opportunity costs.
–Clarify which decisions local agencies control and which they do not.
–Measure institutional knowledge, public access and community use as part of the legacy.
Sen. Ben Allen
Chair, California Senate Special Committee on International Sporting Events
As chair of the California Senate’s Special Committee on International Sporting Events, Allen has spent the past two years examining how the state can maximize the opportunities presented by the World Cup and the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
For Allen, the tournament was an invaluable live test—but not proof that Los Angeles is fully prepared. “We’re learning a lot from the World Cup experience,” Allen said, while emphasizing that there is “still a lot more work to be done” before 2028.
Metro’s daily reports gave policymakers information about where spectators began their trips, which connections they used and where operational pressure emerged. The World Cup centered primarily on one stadium. The Olympics will involve numerous venues operating simultaneously across a vast geographic region.
Transportation will be only one challenge. The next two years must also address public safety, workforce readiness, hospitality, accessibility, international visitation and coordination among the state, county, cities, LA28 and community partners. “The enduring question is how this really impacts and benefits everyone around the region,” Allen said. That question should guide the transition from World Cup celebration to Olympic preparation.
Allen’s take: What LA28 should carry forward…
–Treat the World Cup as a full-scale operational rehearsal.
–Secure state and federal transportation resources early.
–Strengthen coordination among government agencies and LA28.
–Create workforce pathways that continue after the Games.
–Ensure public benefits extend throughout the region—not only around Olympic venues.
Read more The bagel’s journey from Jewish immigrant food to American breakfast staple