One week before the World Cup kick-off: 2,000 workers at the opening stadium ready to strike
Jan Novak
Dailysports's expert
With less than a week to go before the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, one of the tournament's main venues has landed in the center of a labor dispute. Around 2,000 employees at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles have voted in favor of a possible strike.
According to Mundo Deportivo, 96% of workers represented by the Unite Here Local 11 union supported the decision to begin protest action should an agreement with management not be reached. Employees have been working for over a year without a new collective bargaining agreement.
The union represents stadium service workers, including cooks, dishwashers, food stand staff, and waiters. Their core demands are a pay increase and guarantees that no U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids will occur at the stadium during the World Cup.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has stated that ICE officers during the tournament will focus solely on security issues and do not plan to carry out operations targeting undocumented migrants.
SoFi Stadium in Inglewood seats around 70,000 spectators and will host the first World Cup match on U.S. soil. On June 12, the U.S. national team will face Paraguay at this venue. In total, the stadium will stage eight matches during the tournament, including one of the quarterfinals.
