Today marks a bittersweet milestone for Los Angeles as Los Angeles Stadium in Inglewood is opening its gates for the final time this World Cup. It has been a thrilling summer of international football, but today brings the curtain down on L.A.’s role as a host city for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
In total, Los Angeles hosted 8 matches during the tournament. The schedule was split between the early rounds and the knockout stages:
- 5 Group Stage Matches: This included the U.S. Men’s National Team’s 4-1 win over Paraguay, a 2-2 draw between Iran and New Zealand, and the U.S. team’s 3-2 loss to Turkey.
- 2 Round of 32 Matches: Canada beat South Africa 1-0, and Spain defeated Austria 3-0.
- 1 Quarter-final: Today’s game.
Today’s match: Spain vs. Belgium
Today’s quarter-final match features Spain against Belgium at 12:00 PM local time. Spain enters the game without having conceded a goal so far in the tournament, relying on a disciplined defense led by 19-year-old center-back Pau Cubarsi. They advanced to this stage after a 1-0 win against Portugal in the Round of 16. Belgium started the tournament slowly in the group stage but improved in the knockout rounds, defeating the United States 4-1 in their last match.
The winner of today’s game will move on to the semifinals to face France, who defeated Morocco 2-0 yesterday.
Beyond L.A.: where the World Cup goes next
While Los Angeles officially passes the torch today, the road to the finals is just heating up. The tournament now enters its final stretch, with the remaining seven matches shifting entirely to the eastern and central regions of the United States.
Here is where the rest of the 2026 World Cup will unfold:
The remaining Quarter-finals (Saturday, July 11)
- Norway vs. England: Kicking off at Miami Stadium (Miami, FL).
- Argentina vs. Switzerland: Staged at Kansas City Stadium (Kansas City, MO).
The Semifinals
- Tuesday, July 14: France vs. the winner of today’s Spain/Belgium match at Dallas Stadium (Arlington, TX).
- Wednesday, July 15: The winner of Norway/England vs. the winner of Argentina/Switzerland at Atlanta Stadium (Atlanta, GA).
The final chapter
- Third-Place Play-off (Saturday, July 18): Returning to Miami Stadium (Miami, FL) to crown the bronze medalist.
- The World Cup Final (Sunday, July 19): The ultimate champion will be crowned at the New York New Jersey Stadium (MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ) in front of a global audience of billions.
