'i Love America!': With The World Cup, Inglewood Becomes An International Hub

Daiki Kaneko had only 24 hours earlier his World Cup travel took him to Dallas, wherever his location country’s squad will return connected Sweden.

The Japanese shot instrumentality was making nan astir of it connected Tuesday successful Inglewood, snapping pictures of SoFi Stadium earlier taking successful a different benignant of monument: a space-age, two-story branch of nan chickenhearted concatenation Raising Cane’s, complete pinch a 308-square-foot screen, a mirrored canine sculpture and a monolithic halo hovering astir nan exterior.

For Kaneko, 25, who lives successful nan Tokyo suburbs, it was nan cleanable encapsulation of American grandeur.

“All this for chicken,” he said. “I emotion America.”

Inglewood is already divers — astir residents are Latino aliases Black, and nearly a third are immigrants. But during nan World Cup, it’s looking much for illustration nan United Nations. English, Japanese, Swiss, Iranians, Paraguayans, Bosnians, Belgians and others are flocking to nan metropolis of astir 102,000, wherever 8 matches are being played astatine SoFi Stadium.

Though visitors from overseas whitethorn not person heard of Inglewood until now, they’re soaking up nan vibes of a metropolis that has agelong been a awesome sports and intermezo hub, location to venues specified arsenic nan Kia Forum and Intuit Dome, and a crucible of Black culture, immortalized successful hip-hop songs by artists specified arsenic Tupac Shakur and Dr. Dre.

“We’re an world metropolis now,” Mayor James Butts said.

Butts said locals were already proud of what nan metropolis has become, but nan World Cup has put nan celebratory feelings complete nan top.

“We person group from truthful galore different countries migrating to Inglewood, and there’s an explosive consciousness of organization pride,” he said.

Bartender Elijah Gonzalez, left, mixes a portion astatine nan Nile Bar successful Inglewood while customers watch a World Cup shot preview.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

City officials are doing everything they tin to clasp nan tone of nan tournament, including speeding up permits truthful mini businesses and neighborhoods tin clasp World Cup gatherings and watch parties, Butts said. During nan U.S.’s opening lucifer against Paraguay connected June 12, nan metropolis hosted the Wood Cup, a artifact statement connected Market Street that brought successful much than 5,000 people.

Businesses crossed nan metropolis are embracing nan tourney arsenic well, vying for a portion of nan roughly $17 million nan metropolis expects to haul in. For a fewer weeks, concerns astir skyrocketing lodging costs and gentrification, brought connected by nan city’s expanding fame arsenic a spot to settee down, are taking a backmost spot to nan sheer nosy of world soccer.

The supersized Raising Cane’s had its expansive opening connected June 11, nan first time of nan tournament. During nan USMNT’s opening match, Cinepolis, a luxury movie theatre down nan roadworthy from SoFi Stadium, turned into a world sports hub, according to CEO Luis Olloqui.

Maddy Daversa, a bartender astatine nan Meeting Spot, a edifice adjacent nan stadium, said 2,000 group poured successful erstwhile nan Americans played Paraguay.

“I was trading beers for 5 hours straight,” she said. “It was crazy.”

Daversa said nan edifice is usually closed connected Mondays but opened successful hopes of getting immoderate spillover fans from nan Iran-New Zealand crippled astatine SoFi.

“Every array was full,” she said. “We’re taking advantage.”

Tuesday was an disconnected time for Inglewood, pinch nary games astatine SoFi. But nan power was still palpable, pinch locals sporting shot jerseys and visitors popping up crossed nan city.

“I conscionable want to beryllium wherever nan fans are,” said David Meier, a Swiss instrumentality successful municipality for his location country’s lucifer against Bosnia-Herzegovina connected Thursday.

Meier, 45, plans to research L.A. via bars, restaurants and watch parties, taking successful each crippled that his schedule will let earlier heading northbound of nan separator to Vancouver, wherever Switzerland will look Canada connected June 24.

“Everyone has been truthful kind,” he said. “Soccer and brew turns strangers into friends.”

Flags from countries competing successful nan World Cup are connected show astatine Manchester Boulevard and South Market Street successful Inglewood.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

The power carried complete to Market Street, a historical shopping territory astir a mile from SoFi Stadium. Businesses group up signs, posters and world flags to lure locals and visitors alike, while nan Miracle Theater hosted a watch statement for nan lucifer betwixt France and Senegal.

Owen Smith, who co-owns nan theatre pinch his wife, Mariana, said a Senegalese friend who grew up successful France asked if he would beryllium consenting to show nan crippled connected nan large screen. A time later, fans of some teams assembled inside, snapping photos successful beforehand of a elephantine inflatable World Cup trophy successful nan lobby.

“The Miracle is simply a taste arena theater. It’s astir accommodating nan community,” Smith said.

Benyam Woldegiorgis, who co-owns nan Nile Bar connected Market Street, is showing each azygous World Cup lucifer — each 104 of them.

“It brings successful business,” he said. “Usually it’s conscionable football, hoops and baseball, but now we’re adding shot to nan mix.”

Dionte Johnson, proprietor of nan streetwear shop Kingsrowe, collaborated pinch Adidas to clasp a watch statement for nan U.S. team’s opener and said nan turnout was massive, bringing successful loads of Mexico fans who are section residents, moreover though their squad had already won their opener nan time before.

“The downside of nan World Cup is that tickets are truthful expensive, truthful a batch of locals can’t spell cheque retired nan games themselves. That’s why we’re hosting events,” Johnson said. “The games are successful our backyard, truthful this is thing group person had connected their almanac for a agelong time.”

Homeowners are cashing successful arsenic well, pinch immoderate renting retired their places connected Airbnb for a mini fortune, figuring that crashing connected a friend’s sofa aliases booking a edifice room elsewhere is well worthy nan lofty payouts brought by World Cup demand.

Across L.A., hotel request lagged compared pinch first expectations, but short-term rental prices still jumped 56% compared pinch emblematic rates, and much than 70% of rentals were booked by December 2025.

In Inglewood — particularly for rentals walkable to SoFi Stadium — prices became dizzying.

David Orenstein and his wife, Peggy, tally an Airbnb crossed nan thoroughfare from SoFi Stadium. It usually rents for $400 per night, but for nan U.S. team’s opening game, it went for $3,000.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Peggy Orenstein and her husband, David, ain a location steps from nan stadium that typically rents for $400 a nighttime on Airbnb. For nan U.S. team’s opener, nan nightly complaint changeable up to $3,000.

For different matches, nan four-bedroom location is going for $1,200 to $1,500 a night. Orenstein said nan precocious request and world crowds are a teaser for what’s to come.

“Next up is nan Olympics,” she said. “This is simply a awesome learning instruction for what we tin expect.”