Looking Ahead to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics: Experiencing the Power of Sports to Move Cities and People Through World Cup Observation | World Cup Observation Report – LA Edition

Hello! We are Saiki from SUNNY SIDE UP and Ishiguro, the biggest soccer fan on our sports team!

The 2026 FIFA World Cup is now approaching its final stages. This tournament marks the first-ever joint hosting by three countries: the United States, Canada, and Mexico. As part of our training program, we had the opportunity to visit the United States and observe the World Cup and MLB games in Los Angeles and New York!

We will share our experience in four comprehensive editions!

During our approximately one-week stay in the United States, we chose Los Angeles first because it hosted the opening match of host nation USA, the venue “SoFi Stadium” is one of the tournament’s representative stadiums, and the city will host the Summer Olympics and Paralympics in 2028, just two years away. We wanted to see firsthand what kind of experience value a city hosting the world’s premier sporting events provides, so we headed there.

New York, on the other hand, is one of the world’s leading commercial cities, and we experienced how the city comes alive around sports and connects to business through World Cup sponsor activations, sports brand flagship stores, and MLB. In this first edition, we report on our experience in Los Angeles!

America’s Soccer Fever Exceeded Our Expectations

In Los Angeles, we attended the opening match of host nation USA.

Since the United States is home to many globally popular sports such as baseball, basketball, and American football, we headed to the venue with the impression that “soccer might not receive that much attention.”

However, upon arrival, the stadium was already packed! Many spectators wore Team USA jerseys, and even before kickoff, a spontaneous chorus of “USA! USA!” erupted throughout the venue. Once the match began, every play drew tremendous cheers, creating a sense of unity as the entire stadium rallied behind the national team.

Furthermore, the production unique to the host nation’s opening match was spectacular! Before kickoff, singer Katy Perry appeared and performed “WONDER” live amid dazzling production. During the national anthem, a shot of Tom Cruise and David Beckham together appeared on the screen, bringing the venue’s excitement to its peak even before the match started.

While the World Cup naturally holds special value as a tournament, combined with the anticipation of hosting the event as the host nation, we could truly feel the intensity of America’s soccer fever.

SoFi Stadium Demonstrates the Future of Sports Viewing

Opened in 2020, this stadium is one of the world’s premier sports facilities with a total construction cost reportedly around $5 billion, and normally serves as the home venue for the NFL’s Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Chargers. It has hosted Super Bowl LVI and is also used as a venue for major matches between international soccer clubs and concerts by world-renowned artists such as Taylor Swift and Beyoncé.

Upon entering the stadium, the first thing that caught our eye was the massive 360-degree LED screen suspended from the ceiling. Its scale is so impressive you have to look up, designed to display images clearly from any seat. Replays and production videos during the match were incredibly powerful, making it feel as though the entire venue functions as a single show.

Furthermore, while being an all-weather stadium, natural light streams in through the roof made of high-performance materials, making the interior very bright and open. Despite being a massive facility accommodating approximately 80,000 people, there is no sense of confinement, and the design that makes every seat feel close to the pitch was also impressive.

The purpose is not simply to introduce the latest equipment. We felt from the details that the entire stadium is designed from the perspective of “whether spectators can have the best experience.”

Rather than a “sports facility,” it is “one giant entertainment facility.” This concept seemed to symbolize the future direction of sports events.

Fan Experiences That Create Value Beyond Match Time

In Los Angeles, fan festivals were held outside the match venues, featuring experience booths by sponsor companies, official merchandise shops, public viewing areas, and various participatory content, creating a space where people could enjoy themselves all day even without match tickets.

Additionally, because large-scale facilities were utilized, the entire venue had ample space, and the lack of stress from crowding was another point that felt distinctly American.

Experiencing the Economic Impact Generated by Sports at Dodger Stadium

During this observation trip, we also attended an MLB Los Angeles Dodgers game. With many Japanese players on the roster, including Shohei Ohtani, pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and pitcher Roki Sasaki, many Japanese fans were visible at the ballpark.

At the merchandise shop, numerous jerseys and personalized goods of Japanese players were on display, demonstrating their immense popularity. Witnessing how the presence of world-class star players drives attendance, merchandise sales, and even tourism demand, we once again felt the magnitude of the economic impact that sports can generate.

What We Learned from World-Class Events

What left the strongest impression during our stay in Los Angeles was that the value of a sports event is not created by “a single match” alone.

Of course, there are the emotional experiences gained from matches and the joy and sorrow from wins and losses. However, we realized that when state-of-the-art stadiums, comfortable viewing environments, sponsor and fan events, and the city’s overall hospitality infrastructure all come together, they create a special sports experience that makes people want to “come back again.”

In 2028, the Olympics and Paralympics will be held in Los Angeles. This World Cup observation was also a valuable opportunity to experience a glimpse of that future.

In PR work as well, we feel it is becoming increasingly important not just to deliver information, but to design “experiences that make people want to participate.”

We want to apply the insights gained from world-class sporting events to sports events in Japan and corporate PR activities, connecting them to creating experiences that move people’s hearts.