Inglewood turns World Cup week into international boom

Inglewood becomes – As the World Cup brings eight matches to SoFi Stadium, Inglewood is leaning into a surge of international fans and small-business energy—while rental prices climb sharply and residents weigh the benefits against fears about housing costs.

On Tuesday in Inglewood. Daiki Kaneko had just 24 hours before his World Cup trip carried him from the city to Dallas. where Japan’s squad will take on Sweden. He spent the day taking pictures of SoFi Stadium—and then detouring for a different kind of spectacle: a two-story Raising Cane’s with a 308-square-foot screen. a mirrored dog sculpture. and a massive halo hovering over the exterior.

For Kaneko, 25, who lives in the Tokyo suburbs, it felt like the full package of American life. “All this for chicken,” he said. “I love America.”

Inglewood. home to about 102. 000 people. has long been diverse—most residents are Latino or Black. and nearly a third are immigrants. During the World Cup, that everyday mix is expanding into something closer to a traveling world fair. English. Japanese. Swiss. Iranians. Paraguayans. Bosnians. Belgians and others are arriving for the eight matches being played at SoFi Stadium. turning the city’s usual sports-and-entertainment draw into a visible. on-the-street international presence.

Mayor James Butts said locals already felt proud of where Inglewood has been heading. but the tournament has pushed that pride into a higher gear. “We’re an international city now,” Butts said. He added that residents see a surge of community pride as people from so many different countries move through.

City officials say they’re trying to match that spirit with fast-moving logistics—speeding up permits so small businesses and neighborhoods can hold World Cup gatherings and watch parties. Butts said. During the U.S.’s opening match against Paraguay on June 12. the city hosted the Wood Cup. a block party on Market Street that brought in more than 5. 000 people.

Businesses across the city are also getting in the game. They’re competing for a share of the roughly $17 million the city expects to haul in during the tournament. For a few weeks. concerns about skyrocketing housing costs and gentrification. driven by Inglewood’s rising popularity. have taken a back seat to the constant stream of international soccer—fun that arrives daily and spills into storefronts.

The supersized Raising Cane’s opened on June 11, the first day of the tournament. When the U.S. team played its opener, Cinepolis—a luxury movie theater a short distance from SoFi Stadium—shifted into a global sports hub, according to CEO Luis Olloqui.

Maddy Daversa, a bartender at the Meeting Spot near the stadium, said 2,000 people poured in when the Americans faced Paraguay. “I was selling beers for five hours straight,” she said. “It was crazy.” Daversa said the restaurant is normally closed on Mondays. but opened in hopes of catching spillover fans from the Iran-New Zealand game at SoFi.

“We’re taking advantage,” she said. “Every table was full.”

Even on Tuesday, when there were no games at SoFi, the energy stayed. Locals wore soccer jerseys, and tourists still moved through the city. David Meier, 45, a Swiss fan in town for Switzerland’s match against Bosnia-Herzegovina on Thursday, said he just wanted to be close to the crowd.

“I just want to be where the fans are,” Meier said. He plans to explore Los Angeles through bars. restaurants. and watch parties. catching every game his schedule allows before heading north to Vancouver. where Switzerland will face Canada on June 24. “Everyone has been so kind,” he said. “Soccer and beer turns strangers into friends.”.

That welcoming atmosphere showed up on Market Street, a historic shopping district about a mile from SoFi Stadium. Businesses put up signs, posters, and international flags to draw locals and tourists alike. The Miracle Theater hosted a watch party for the match between France and Senegal.

Owen Smith. who co-owns the theater with his wife. Mariana. said a Senegalese friend who grew up in France asked if he would be willing to show the game on the big screen. A day later. fans of both teams filled the theater. snapping photos in front of a giant inflatable World Cup trophy in the lobby.

“The Miracle is a cultural event theater. It’s about accommodating the community,” Smith said.

At the Nile Bar on Market Street, Benyam Woldegiorgis—who co-owns the business—said he is showing every single World Cup match, all 104. “It brings in business,” he said. “Usually it’s just football, basketball and baseball, but now we’re adding soccer to the mix.”

Dionte Johnson, owner of the streetwear store Kingsrowe, partnered with Adidas to hold a watch party for the U.S. team’s opener. Johnson said the turnout was massive and brought in loads of Mexico fans who are local residents, even though Mexico had already won its opener the day before.

“The downside of the World Cup is that tickets are so expensive, so a lot of locals can’t go check out the games themselves. That’s why we’re hosting events,” Johnson said. “The games are in our backyard, so this is something people have had on their calendar for a long time.”

The market isn’t only in bars and theaters. Homeowners are also cashing in. Some are renting out their places on Airbnb for payouts driven by World Cup demand, with a logic that feels practical: stay with friends or book elsewhere, then take advantage of the peak-rate surge.

Across Los Angeles, hotel demand lagged compared with initial expectations, but short-term rental prices still jumped 56% compared with typical rates, and more than 70% of rentals were booked by December 2025.

In Inglewood, especially for rentals within walking distance of SoFi Stadium, the prices have become dizzying. David Orenstein and his wife, Peggy, run an Airbnb across the street from the stadium. The home usually rents for $400 per night. For the U.S. team’s opening game, the nightly rate jumped to $3,000. For other matches, their four-bedroom house is going for $1,200 to $1,500 a night.

Orenstein said the high demand and international crowds are a teaser for what’s ahead. “Next up is the Olympics,” she said. “This is a great learning lesson for what we can expect.”

Inglewood World Cup SoFi Stadium James Butts Raising Cane's Market Street Airbnb short-term rentals immigration Los Angeles