Soccer is making its way to SoFi Stadium for the first time ever.
The new venue in Inglewood was set to open its doors for the first time in summer 2020, with Real Madrid scheduled to play Barcelona and help christen the $5-billion stadium. Due to the pandemic, that was cancelled before it ever got announced, but now, another historic even has been revealed.
MLS and Mexico’s Liga MX are bringing the sport to SoFi for the first time, with the LA Galaxy playing Chivas of Guadalajara and LAFC going against Club América in August. The leagues jointly announced the event on Thursday morning.
“There’s a great history of big soccer matches being played in the United States and in Los Angeles, dating back to the 1994 World Cup, the 1999 Women’s World Cup, and all of the big games that the Galaxy has been a part of,” Galaxy President Chris Klein said in a statement, according to the LA Times. “So having the opportunity to play against a storied franchise in Liga MX is an honor that we are looking forward to.”
LAFC co-President Larry Freedman added, “Los Angeles is showing, yet again, why it is one of the top sports cities in the world, and it is an honor for our club to have the opportunity to compete in this showcase.”
These clubs are four of the most popular in North America. The doubleheader, set for August 3, serves as a prelude to the Leagues Cup, an annual tournament featuring all 47 teams in MLS and Liga MX that will kick off in summer 2023.
The Galaxy haven’t played the team from Guadalajara in 15 years. The previous meetings came in the 1997 CONCACAF Cup of Champions in Chicago, in a 1999 friendly at the Rose Bowl and in the 2007 Superliga at the L.A. Coliseum. Chivas is also the club that gave Galaxy star Javier “Chicharito” Hernández his start.
LAFC’s only game against Club América--the most popular team in Mexico--came in the semifinals of the 2020 CONCACAF Champions League. LAFC won that match-up 3-1.
This will also serve as a homecoming for Jonathan Dos Santos, who left the LA Galaxy at the end of last season to join Club América.
It should go without saying that this event will be a hot ticket in Los Angeles. Galaxy and LAFC season-ticket holders will have the opportunity to purchase tickets through a presale next week, with the public sale begining April 21 at 10 a.m. PST.
