The biggest events held at SoFi Stadium ahead of the USMNT’s 2026 World Cup opener vs Paraguay

SoFi Stadium may be one of the newest venues at the 2026 World Cup, but few stadiums anywhere in the world match its scale, ambition and spectacle.

The USMNT’s opening match will be the latest chapter in a venue that has already hosted major finals, global entertainment events and landmark football fixtures.

Opened in 2020 at a cost of more than £5 billion, SoFi is the most technologically advanced stadium ever to stage a World Cup game, and its history is only just beginning.

Before the USA take centre stage, FootballGroundGuide looks back at five memorable events that have shaped SoFi Stadium’s short but spectacular story.

Leagues Cup Showcase event (August 2022)

The first major football event ever held at SoFi Stadium, and it was a statement of intent.

On 3 August 2022, the venue hosted a Leagues Cup Showcase doubleheader featuring LA Galaxy vs Guadalajara and LAFC vs Club America. More than 70,000 fans attended, creating one of the loudest atmospheres the stadium had seen to that point.

Galaxy defeated Chivas 2–0, while LAFC and America played out a tense 0–0 draw before the Mexican giants won 6–5 on penalties.

It was the night SoFi proved it could host elite football and fill every seat doing it.

Mexico 1-0 Panama (2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup Final)

The first major international football match at SoFi Stadium was a historic one.

A late goal from Santiago Giménez secured Mexico a 1–0 win and a record ninth Gold Cup title. More than 70,000 fans created a vibrant, partisan atmosphere that showcased the region’s passion for the sport.

For CONCACAF, it was a landmark moment. For SoFi, it was proof that it could host high‑stakes international football at the very highest level.

Los Angeles Rams 23–20 Cincinnati Bengals (Super Bowl LVI)

This was the event that put SoFi Stadium on the global map in 2022.

The first Super Bowl ever held at the venue delivered a Hollywood ending as the LA Rams lifted the Lombardi Trophy in their home stadium. A late touchdown drive from Matthew Stafford to Cooper Kupp sealed the victory in front of more than 100 million viewers worldwide.

It was the moment SoFi announced itself as a world‑class venue capable of hosting the biggest events in sport.

WrestleMania 39 (2023)

Across two nights, more than 160,000 fans packed into SoFi Stadium for WWE’s flagship event – one of the largest entertainment spectacles ever held in Los Angeles.

The production scale, staging and global reach demonstrated the stadium’s versatility and its ability to host multi‑day events that rival any sporting occasion. It remains one of the most successful entertainment events in SoFi’s history.

Georgia 65–7 TCU (2023 College Football Playoff National Championship)

A record‑breaking blowout, but a defining moment for the stadium.

On 9 January 2023, SoFi hosted the College Football Playoff National Championship between Georgia and TCU. Georgia’s 65–7 victory set the record for the largest margin of victory in a national championship game, and at the time, the largest margin in any FBS bowl game.

The event showcased SoFi’s broadcast capabilities, fan experience and ability to host one of the biggest fixtures in American sport.

SoFi Stadium’s history is only beginning

Unlike the Estadio Azteca or other historic World Cup venues, SoFi Stadium is still writing its story, but the chapters are already significant.

It will host another Super Bowl in 2027. It will stage the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games. And now, it will welcome the USMNT to begin their 2026 World Cup journey.

SoFi Stadium may be young, but it is built for global moments, and this summer, it has the chance to add football history to its rapidly growing legacy.