World Cup 2026 stadium workers voting on strike action days before tournament starts

Workers at the SoFi Stadium are voting on potential strike action during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, just days before the tournament is due to begin.

The SoFi Stadium is scheduled to host its first World Cup fixture on June 13, when hosts USA take on Paraguay in Group D, but the threat of a workers strike has cast uncertainty over matchday operations at the venue.

ICE concerns at centre of dispute

Unite Here Local 11, which represents the roughly 2,000 workers at the SoFi Stadium, has said that fears surrounding the presence of ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) are at the centre of the labour dispute.

While Unite Here Local 11 have also said they are asking for better wages and job security for the stadium workers, the presence of ICE has been raised as the main concern.

The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, has insisted that agents will be at the stadium to target counterfeiters and traffickers, but workers have made it clear that they do not trust the federal agency.

Worker Yolanda Fierro said “Myself and my co-workers are a little bit scared of coming to work, because I do have a lot of employees that are here on working visas from different countries.”

Fierro continued that “If I get snatched up by ICE, who is going to take care of my family? What is going to happen to my personal property, such as homes, vehicles, things like that?”

The union have said that voting will finish on Friday night, with both sides then set to return to the bargaining table on Monday.

Workers have made it clear that they are willing to walk out if an agreement on their safety and security protections cannot be reached.

FGG Says: Celebration clouded by concern

The World Cup is meant to be a global celebration of football, not an event overshadowed by workers, and fans, holding fears regarding the presence of Immigration and Customs Enforcement around stadiums on matchdays.