SEATTLE - Eight years later, Copa América returns to the Los Angeles area but this time around it will be at a completely different venue. The glamourous SoFi Stadium, located in Inglewood, California, will be host to two Copa América 2024 matches, replacing the legendary Rose Bowl that served as a venue in 2016.
A city full of 'fútbol' heritage, Los Angeles will be one of two California cities to host the tournament, with Santa Clara being the other one selected.
Situated in the most populous county in the United States, Inglewood is located just a few miles away from all the noise and traffic of L.A. and in 2020 became the home of the modern SoFi Stadium.
The city of Inglewood is one of 88 incorporated cities in L.A. County and its major city is Los Angeles. The entire metropolitan area houses more than 10 million people, according to data from the 2020 U.S. Census.
One of the most culturally diverse places in the entire United States, L.A. County is known around the world for its movie industry, its food, its sunsets and of course, its sports teams.
The first professional team to call the Los Angeles metropolitan area its home was the Angels. In 1892, the Angels made their debut in the four-team California league. Fast-forward more than 100 years, Los Angeles is now home to more than 10 professional sports teams, including one on each major professional sports league:
Professional sports teams based around the Los Angeles metropolitan area
- Chargers (football)
- Rams (football)
- Dodgers (baseball)
- Angels (baseball)
- Lakers (basketball)
- Clippers (basketball)
- Sparks (women's basketball)
- LAFC (soccer)
- LA Galaxy (soccer)
- Angel City FC (women's soccer)
- Kings (hockey)
- Rugby FC Los Angeles (rugby)
The crown jewel of the city in terms of sports venues is the newly constructed SoFi Stadium, home of the Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Chargers. The stadium will host two Copa América games including Brazil's debut against Costa Rica on June 24 and the match between Mexico and Venezuela on June 26.
SoFi Stadium Quick Facts
- It is the most expensive stadium in the world with an estimated cost of $5 billion including other parts of the project such as an event arena, nearby roads and ancillary buildings.
- SoFi Stadium is unique due to having a 360-degree double-sided screen with the capacity to play videos in 4K quality. It is known as 'The Oculus.'
- The venue has also hosted Monster Jam finals, concerts by the Rolling Stones and Blink 182, and even a Super Bowl.
- In 2026, SoFi Stadium will host eight matches of the FIFA World Cup and two years later it will host the opening ceremony of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
Demographics
Los Angeles County has always been known for being a pretty diverse place. According to the latest census, 49% of the people that inhabit the are identify themselves as either Hispanic or Latino.
By itself, the city of Los Angeles is the place in the United States with biggest number of Latinos (more than 1.8 million), but despite the Latino dominance, LA is still a very diverse city. People from about 140 different countries inhabit the area and around 224 different languages are spoken within city limits.
Los Angeles County became the first in the nation to reach 10 million residents and, if the Los Angeles five-county area were a state, it would surpass all states in total population size with the exception of California, Texas, New York and Florida.
Other attractions
Los Angeles is the world's epicenter for the entertainment industry. It is home to some of the world's most famous studios as well as being a powerhouse in tourism and international trade. Each year, millions of people visit the Los Angeles area for its splendid weather, its 75-mile coastline home to beaches such as Malibu and Long Beach.
LA is home to an endless array of iconic landmarks such as the Santa Monica pier, Hollywood and the Griffith Observatory, between others.
Los Angeles is also a hub for museums, as not even New York City has as many museums as the metropolis located in Southern California. If you wanna catch a show, LA has plenty to offer. Pre-pandemic, the city boasted more than 1,500 theatrical productions annually.
In terms of food, very few places come close to the culinary options offered in Los Angeles. From food trucks to Michelin-star restaurants, LA offers a variety of dining options that can appeal any palate.
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