Workers at SoFi Stadium, the Los Angeles venue set to host eight matches at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, are threatening to strike during the tournament unless concerns over working conditions and the role of U.S. immigration enforcement are addressed.
The hospitality union Unite Here Local 11, which represents around 2,000 cooks, servers and bartenders at the stadium, has issued the warning as the city prepares for an estimated 150,000 extra visitors this summer. With the eyes of the world set to fall on Los Angeles, the union is leveraging the high-profile moment to press its demands on FIFA and stadium owner Stan Kroenke.
Contract Demands and ICE Presence
In a letter to FIFA President Gianni Infantino and billionaire sports mogul Kroenke, union co-president Kurt Petersen outlined a series of critical demands. A central issue is that the workers currently have no labour contract in place for the World Cup period. The union is calling for fair working practices, citing past allegations of wage theft at previous tournaments, and wants guarantees that artificial intelligence and automation will not be used to displace union jobs during the event.
Perhaps the most contentious demand is for FIFA to publicly state that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has “no place in the city or at the games.” The union argues that ICE’s presence threatens the safety of both workers and guests. This demand follows confirmation from Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons that the agency, specifically its Homeland Security Investigations division, will be a “key part of the overall security apparatus for the World Cup.”
The issue has drawn political attention. Congresswoman Nellie Pou, the Ranking Member of the House Homeland Security Task Force overseeing World Cup security, has repeatedly questioned ICE’s role. In February, she asked Lyons at a House hearing if the agency would pause enforcement operations, citing controversy after ICE officers were involved in fatal shootings of American citizens in Minnesota. Pou has since introduced legislation, dubbed the “Save the World Cup Act,” which aims to block civil immigration enforcement near World Cup venues.
Housing and Tournament Economics
The union’s final major concern ties the global event to a local crisis: affordable housing. Petersen characterised short-term rental giant Airbnb as a factor exacerbating Los Angeles’s housing shortage and called on FIFA to cut ties with the company. The union is also seeking a contribution to a workforce housing fund for hospitality workers.
These demands come as Airbnb aggressively courts the World Cup market. The platform is offering a $750 incentive for first-time hosts in host cities and has been lobbying Los Angeles to ease regulations on short-term rentals, promising increased tax revenue. Analysis shows rental prices near SoFi Stadium have surged, with some properties in Inglewood listed for over $10,000 for the tournament’s opening match.
The stakes for all parties are substantial. Updated projections suggest the World Cup could deliver a total economic impact of $892 million for Los Angeles County, including $515 million in direct visitor spending, alongside significant tax revenue. A strike would not only disrupt one of the tournament’s flagship venues but risk tarnishing the image of the event and the host city, turning a showcase of global sport into a spotlight on domestic disputes over labour, security, and inequality.
