What Happened to SoFi Stadium? Why the Rams Were Forced to Rename It Los Angeles Stadium During World Cup
· Yahoo Sports
The United States is co-hosting the largest World Cup in history alongside Canada and Mexico, with 48 teams competing across 16 venues in North America from June 11 through July 19.
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Eleven of those venues are NFL stadiums, and fans tuning in to watch the USMNT’s first game of the tournament against Paraguay will notice that the SoFi Stadium, home of the Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Chargers, is being called Los Angeles Stadium. A similar name change has occurred at every other NFL venue hosting World Cup matches.
Why Did FIFA Force NFL Stadiums To Change Their Names for the World Cup?
FIFA’s sponsorship rules require that only official World Cup partners receive branding exposure during the tournament. Companies like SoFi, AT&T, Hard Rock, and Levi’s paid millions for naming rights deals with NFL teams, but none are official FIFA sponsors.
As a result, all corporate logos, signage, and branded names must be removed or covered for the duration of the event. Tickets, broadcasts, and all official tournament materials reflect the temporary names as well.
Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium is the lone exception, as FIFA granted a special exemption after 18 months of negotiations because covering the massive three-pointed star on the venue’s retractable roof risked causing mechanical damage. The logo will stay, but the stadium will still be referred to as Atlanta Stadium.
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Here is the full list of NFL stadiums hosting World Cup matches and their temporary FIFA names:
- SoFi Stadium (Rams/Chargers) – Los Angeles Stadium
- AT&T Stadium (Dallas Cowboys) – Dallas Stadium
- Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta Falcons) – Atlanta Stadium
- MetLife Stadium (New York Jets/New York Giants) – New York New Jersey Stadium
- Gillette Stadium (New England Patriots) – Boston Stadium
- NRG Stadium (Houston Texans) – Houston Stadium
- Hard Rock Stadium (Miami Dolphins) – Miami Stadium
- Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia Eagles) – Philadelphia Stadium
- Levi’s Stadium (San Francisco 49ers) – San Francisco Bay Area Stadium
- Lumen Field (Seattle Seahawks) – Seattle Stadium
- Arrowhead Stadium (Kansas City Chiefs) – Kansas City Stadium
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The five non-NFL venues, Estadio Azteca (Mexico City Stadium), Estadio Akron (Guadalajara Stadium), Estadio BBVA (Monterrey Stadium), BMO Field (Toronto Stadium), and BC Place Vancouver (Vancouver Stadium), are following the same rules.
The USMNT’s full Group D schedule is as follows:
- Friday, June 12: USA vs. Paraguay, Los Angeles Stadium, 9 p.m. ET
- Friday, June 19: USA vs. Australia, Seattle Stadium, 3 p.m. ET
- Thursday, June 25: USA vs. Turkiye, Los Angeles Stadium, 10 p.m. ET
Playing two of three group matches at home in Los Angeles with a trip to Seattle in between gives Mauricio Pochettino’s squad a significant advantage.
The USMNT holds the highest FIFA ranking in Group D at No. 17, and with a passionate home crowd behind them in every match, they should have enough quality to advance comfortably into the knockout rounds.