Gold Cup monitoring L.A. protests before opener

Concacaf, soccer's governing assemblage for North and Central America and the Caribbean, said connected Wednesday it was successful "close and ongoing communication" with section officials arsenic protests successful Los Angeles continue, raising concerns up of the Gold Cup's opening lucifer astatine SoFi Stadium.

The tourney begins connected Saturday with Mexico facing the Dominican Republic, but tensions stay precocious crossed parts of the metropolis pursuing a bid of migration raids that sparked wide demonstrations.

"The information and well-being of each participants, fans, and stakeholders is the Confederation's highest priority," Concacaf said successful a statement.

"We volition proceed to actively show developments arsenic we enactment toward delivering a world-class tourney that highlights the champion of our athletics successful a safe, inclusive, and enjoyable situation for all, starting with the opening lucifer connected Saturday, June 14, 2025, successful Los Angeles."

Mexico decided connected Tuesday to power hotels from downtown L.A. to Long Beach owed to information concerns surrounding the clashes betwixt ICE and assemblage protests successful the city's center.

Los Angeles is besides preparing to big matches for the expanded FIFA Club World Cup, with Paris Saint-Germain taking connected Atlético Madrid astatine the Rose Bowl successful Pasadena connected Sunday.

When asked if the games successful L.A. and the existent question prohibition imposed by the Trump medication oregon the ongoing ICE raids crossed the state would impact the attendance of the Club World Cup, FIFA president Gianni Infantino said connected Monday helium was not concerned.

"No, I don't person immoderate concerns astir thing successful the consciousness that we are precise attentive to immoderate information question of course," Infantino said. "The astir important for america is to warrant information for each fans who travel to the games and this is our precedence and the precedence of each the authorities who are here.

"We privation everyone who comes to the games to walk a bully moment. Nobody should deliberation that they tin travel to a crippled and make problems. This volition not hap evidently present arsenic anyplace other successful the satellite unfortunately. We person seen successful the past instances of unit successful matches, but I'm definite that present it volition beryllium a large great celebration."

Information from Reuters was utilized successful this story.