LA sports celebrities anticipate World Cup’s arrival, hope political climate has cooled by then

LOS ANGELES (AP) — When the 2026 World Cup begins across North America one year from this week, sports figures from across Los Angeles are hoping the global soccer community will find the U.S. both inspiring and welcoming.

The Fox network marked the one-year milestone Wednesday night with a big party at its studio lot in Century City. Attendees included everyone from “Ted Lasso” star Jason Sudeikis to luminaries from every corner of the sports world in the nation’s second-largest metropolitan area, including Los Angeles Lakers owner Jeanie Buss and Los Angeles Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh.

“I remember when the World Cup was here in the ’90s, and then obviously what our American women’s team did to win the World Cup (in 1999),” Harbaugh said. “So yeah, I love sports, I love competition, and I think it’s going to be incredible for our state, our city, our country. The vibe is going to be incredible to just have everybody here. I’m looking for another explosion of soccer — football — in America.”

The attendees all expressed excitement about the return of the world’s premier soccer tournament to the U.S. while acknowledging the uncertainty of whether the nation’s fraught political climate could present significant challenges to the teams, the World Cup organizers and even the network that will broadcast the tournament domestically.

“I’m hoping this game can bring people together,” said former LA Galaxy midfielder Cobi Jones, a three-time World Cup veteran and the U.S. men’s career leader in appearances. “That’s what we really want. We’re talking about the travel bans and all that, I’m hoping that FIFA can work together with our government to find a way that everyone can be here, everyone can enjoy this sport, because it’s a cultural event that’s happening here in a year. I expect everyone from around the world to be able to come here and enjoy it.”

Los Angeles is in the midst of several days of protests against intensified immigration raids across the nation that could cause international fans to wonder whether they can travel to the tournament safely. President Donald Trump’s latest expansive travel ban has raised questions about whether some soccer fans will be able to visit at all.

“I think it will get figured out,” Harbaugh said. “To quote the late, great Tom Petty, most things I worry about don’t end up happening anyway.”

Jones also preached caution for U.S. fans already fretting about the dismal state of their national team. Coach Mauricio Pochettino’s squad is on its first four-game losing streak since 2007 after getting thrashed 4-0 by Switzerland on Tuesday in its final tune-up for the CONCACAF Gold Cup.

“We don’t panic right now,” Jones said. “Talk to me when we’re a month out. I’ve seen from experience that with a year out from the World Cup, the team is going to completely change (in the interim). So for me, it’s all about a general sense of whether they can come together as a team, because it’s not about the individuals. We’ve seen it so many times.”

___

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/soccer