It cost more than all 12 stadiums of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil combined. It has a screen bigger than the field itself and a roof that projects videos to airplane passengers. And it was paid for almost entirely out of one billionaire's pocket. We break down the 7 most absurd numbers of the most expensive stadium on the planet. #1 is hard to believe.
When the United States made its 2026 World Cup debut in front of its own fans, the stage wasn't just any stadium. It was SoFi Stadium, in Inglewood, California — the most expensive stadium ever built in human history, at a cost of about $5.5 billion.
To feel the scale: that figure is more than double the second-most-expensive stadium in the world. It's more than all 12 stadiums of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil cost, combined. And nearly all of it came out of a single person's pocket — with no public money.
How do you spend $5.5 billion on a stadium? And what does that money buy? We break down the 7 most impressive numbers of this colossus, from smallest to biggest. #1 is the kind of thing that sounds like science-fiction screenwriting — but it's real.
#7 — The capacity: 70,000 (that becomes more than 100,000)
Let's start with the basics. For the World Cup, SoFi operates with about 70,240 seats. But the real number is higher: capacity is expandable to more than 100,000 people for major events, like the Super Bowl.
It's a stadium that changes size depending on the event. For soccer, 70,000; for a Taylor Swift concert or the Super Bowl, more than 100,000. Flexibility that costs a fortune — and we haven't even reached the big numbers.
The next piece shows how many World Cup games this giant will host. 👇
#6 — The 8 World Cup games (more than any other U.S. venue)
SoFi will host 8 matches at the 2026 World Cup — including the U.S. opener against Paraguay, the host team's final group game, two Round of 16 games, and a quarterfinal. That's more American games than any other stadium in the tournament.
A curious detail: SoFi normally plays on synthetic turf for American football. But FIFA requires natural grass, so a special grass blend (Kentucky bluegrass with synthetic fibers) was grown and installed over the artificial field. Even the turf is a luxury operation.
Now the numbers that justify "most expensive in the world."
#5 — The owner: a billionaire paid for almost all of it
Here's what makes SoFi unique. Unlike almost every World Cup stadium — which usually use public money — SoFi was financed almost entirely by a single billionaire: Stan Kroenke, owner of the Los Angeles Rams football team.
And his name might be familiar to Brazilian fans: Kroenke also owns Arsenal, of the Premier League. No bill for taxpayers to pay — a private fortune built the most expensive stadium on the planet. It's the kind of bet only a handful of people in the world can make.