The USMNT’s opening World Cup game in Los Angeles could be marred by long lines, traffic chaos and fewer refreshment options as stadium workers are poised to strike, experts have warned.
Unite Here Local 11, which represents nearly 2,000 SoFi Stadium employees, voted 96% in favor of authorizing industrial action on Friday as talks of a deal faltered.
The planned walkout, which is expected to include cooks, concession workers and bartenders, may spoil the event for the 70,000 fans set to attend the game against Paraguay, the industry insiders said.
They warned if the strike goes ahead it will also cause massive operational issues for organizers tasked with managing the huge mass of people arriving all at once.
Staff have been pushing for weeks for stronger protections against ICE agents, higher wages, premium pay for events like the World Cup and safeguards against outsourcing.
A high-profile hospitality expert who has catered events for stars such as Selena Gomez and Tyga told the California Post that even small staffing shortages could quickly snowball into larger operational problems.
They said: “It would cause chaos. It’s a huge influx of people, and minimal or inexperienced personnel would create a major bottleneck. Fans would likely be dealing with longer lines for food and drinks.
“Keeping concession stands stocked during the busiest periods would become a huge challenge. Premium suites and hospitality areas could also see service issues, which is an expensive problem when hosting VIP guests and high-profile clients.
“Dealing with crowds that size, small staffing shortages can have a major ripple effect and create bigger operational problems.”
The blockbuster match marks the start of the tournament on US soil, with the first game of the entire event happening in Mexico a day earlier.
Patrick Rishe, director of sports business at Washington University, said any disruption would likely be felt most in the overall fan experience rather than in the matches themselves.
He told The Post: “It’s an interesting development. Obviously, if there is a disruption during the match and after the match, the fan experience is not going to be the same.
“At the same time, the World Cup is a one-off. There will be eight matches at SoFi, so this is a little bit different than, say, a referee strike in the NFL.”
Rishe said fans could encounter longer waits and service issues if temporary workers are brought in to fill staffing gaps.
“I suspect the inconvenience for fans attending if there are shortages or if the quality of temp workers is not there. But I do think it’s more of an inconvenience for fans rather than a massive disruption.”
He noted many supporters will travel thousands of miles and pay significant sums to attend the tournament, making it unlikely that a labor dispute would keep them away.
“If I’m flying from abroad or another part of the country to watch the World Cup, I’m not going to lose too much sleep over 10 minutes to get my burger as opposed to two minutes,” Rishe said.
“Will it make it not as good as it would be? Sure. But people are there to watch the match. People paying the prices they’re paying would have higher expectations.
“But the experience is the building itself and the game, not the staff. It’s not optimal.”
Rishe also suggested stadium operators have likely spent months preparing contingency plans in the event of a labor disruption.
“Because SoFi they operate the Rams and the Chargers they’re probably reaching out to their staff if they’re not working the matches now and having them on call so they can step in,” he said.
“I suspect they’ve got contingencies in place.” Others were even less convinced that a strike would have a major impact on the tournament.
Stuart Waldman, president of the Valley Industry and Commerce Association, said: “There will likely be a strike line – and I’ve been to many World Cups – but I can tell you no one’s going to stop going because there’s a strike line.
“They will easily pass by and not think twice. The more annoying thing is strikers might block traffic and people getting into the park. But then, once in the stadium, getting the concessions people, they will adjust.”
Waldman argued that many concession duties can be learned quickly and pointed to previous events where not all food and beverage locations inside SoFi were operating.
“Filling a soda and grabbing a bag of chips, and most of the food is already pre-made, so it isn’t something that someone without food service experience can’t pick up,” he said.
“I’ve been to quite a few events where they’ve shut down the concessions at SoFi and not everything has been opened.”
While experts differ on how severe the fallout could be, all agree the union has chosen a moment of maximum leverage.
As one of the centerpiece venues of the 2026 World Cup, SoFi Stadium will be under an international spotlight when the US opens its tournament campaign, putting added pressure on both labor negotiators and stadium operators to reach a deal before the first whistle blows.
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