The City of Los Angeles has announced its first official hospitality house for the highly anticipated 2026 FIFA World Cup.
This summer, LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes will serve as Mexico’s Hospitality House, which will also be known as Casa México — a community-centered hub uniting soccer aficionados through the rich cultural traditions of Mexico — launched in partnership with the Mexican Consulate General.
“It made perfect sense,” said Leticia Rhi Buckley, CEO of LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes, of when she was first approached with the idea from the Mexican Consulate General.
“We were really excited to explore how we could put forward the kind of programming that we do every day under this banner and ensure that communities like ours are part of these big global events happening in our city,” she added.
A total of 104 matches will take place across the United States, Canada and Mexico. This is the first time that the FIFA World Cup will be held in the U.S. in over 30 years, with eight games taking place in Los Angeles.
Mexico will kick off the competition with a match against South Africa in Mexico City on June 11.
Throughout the tournament, which will conclude on July 19, Casa México will offer free programming for fans, including live watch parties of the Mexican National Team, courtesy of its official media partner Telemundo 52 / KVEA, which is also the exclusive Spanish-language network airing the FIFA World Cup.
Earlier this week, Mayor Karen Bass welcomed the partnership during a press conference.
“There is no better place to bring people together than [Los Angeles], honoring our past with pride while also looking ahead to the future — inspiring the next generation of athletes, supporting an economic boost that will continue to benefit Angelenos and uplifting the millions of Mexican Americans that call L.A. home,” said Mayor Bass in a press release statement.
LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes is already thinking of ways to incorporate its current programming into the Casa México experience, including the popular Summer of Salsa concert series — which takes place one Friday a month during the summer — as well as film screenings, family days and temporary exhibits relating to the beloved sport and the community.
“This is our 15-year anniversary. What better way to celebrate the last 15 years and the legacy of the foundation with something like Casa México as we look towards the future of the organization,” said Rhi Buckley.
The downtown hub, located by Olvera Plaza, estimates over 20,000 visitors between June 11 and July 19, despite community fears over ICE enforcement decimating foot traffic in Los Angeles.
Last week, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to bar immigration enforcement officers from county-owned spaces, which would protect spaces like the LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes from the Trump administration’s ongoing immigration crackdown.
“We’ve had safety plans in place for a long time,” says Rhi Buckley about protecting patrons from immigration enforcement. “You can’t be an institution like ours under this current government at the federal level and not be prepared to have plans in place.”
As excitement for the World Cup intensifies in the coming months, Rhi Buckley hopes visitors and soccer fans can celebrate the richness of this city and its Mexican influence at LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes, which proudly champions Mexican culture through its corridors.
“This region, this country was built by us and by people like us,” said Rhi Buckley, “I hope people come to experience joy and connection, and recognize how much we have in common.”