Arsenal owner Kroenke’s FIFA standoff takes twist as World Cup decision made
Arsenal owner Stan Kroenke's dispute with FIFA could mean that the $5 billion SoFi Stadium is withdrawn from hosting games at the next World Cup in 2026.
The chairman of the KSE empire is at loggerheads with the governing body, despite the Los Angeles venue having been named as a host for the upcoming tournament. The state-of-the-art home of the Los Angeles Rams and the Los Angeles Chargers has been mentioned as a potential location for the final.
The Inglewood, California, venue had been expected to go up against New Jersey's MetLife Stadium and AT&T Stadium in Dallas for the right to host the showpiece. However, ESPN Deportes' John Sutcliffe now contends that the 70,240-seat arena may not even end up hosting games at all.
He spoke at length about how the plans for SoFi Stadium to host games at the next World Cup have purportedly run aground. Ahead of the Dallas Cowboys' clash versus the Chargers at the arena, he explained that the venue's design could pose a problem when it comes to hosting soccer games.
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He asserted that Kroenke, who owns a portfolio of sports teams including Arsenal and the Denver Nuggets, is reticent to the idea of making adjustments to the stadium. However, this kind of renovation would be a requirement, as the venue could currently not accommodate a soccer pitch.
Sutcliffe said: "It had design problems, no one told Mr. Kroenke that they didn't plan for a soccer field and that it has to get rid of these boxes. The information that I have is that SoFi Stadium is no longer going to be a World Cup venue because the stadium's owner [Kroenke] said, "For what it is going to cost me, best skip it."
As a result, the 76-year-old multi-billionaire could now be facing a situation where the stadium is withdrawn as a venue for the next tournament. Sutcliffe admitted: "The information I have is that SoFi Stadium is very close to not being a World Cup venue.
SoFi Stadium has been named as a host venue for the FIFA World Cup in 2026 but this may change, with tensions allegedly building (Michael Zagaris/San Francisco 49ers/Getty Images)"Not just losing out on the World Cup final but being a World Cup venue at all," with a hypothetical replacement for SoFi Stadium as a venue at the next FIFA tournament possibly coming in the form of Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, which opened in 2020.
In terms of where the final could eventually be hosted, it appears that the contest is a direct shootout between venues in New Jersey and Dallas. In fact, it would seem that the latter is already emerging as a frontrunner in the contest to host the world's greatest football event.
Sutcliffe added: "A lot has been said about SoFi Stadium possibly being the venue for the 2026 World Cup final The final is being fought out between MetLife in New York and AT&T in Dallas, and I understand that Dallas is winning, it would be the headquarters of the World Cup."
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