Thursday, June 18, 2026

Team USA Returns to SoFi to Face Turkey in World Cup Group Finale

Pasadena promotes Metro A Line route and local watch spots as transit gateway for the June 25 match

Thirteen days after dismantling Paraguay in front of a thunderous crowd in Inglewood, the United States men’s national soccer team will take the same field against a Turkish side that needs a result to keep its World Cup alive.

The Group D match is scheduled for Thursday, June 25, at 7:00 p.m. at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood — the Americans’ third and final group-stage game. The Pasadena Convention and Visitor Bureau has published a “Pasadena Football World Championship Guide” promoting the city as a transit and lodging base for fans heading to any of the eight World Cup matches being played 25 miles to the southwest.

The United States opened the tournament on June 12 with a 4-1 win over Paraguay at the same venue. Folarin Balogun scored twice and Christian Pulisic overwhelmed the Paraguayan defense. “All in all, just an incredible start,” Pulisic told reporters after the match, according to NBC News. “But there’s a lot more we still have to do.”

Turkey’s tournament has started far more painfully. Playing in its first World Cup since finishing third in 2002, the side coached by Vincenzo Montella lost 2-0 to Australia on June 13 at BC Place in Vancouver. Turkey qualified on March 31 through UEFA’s Path C playoff, defeating Romania 1-0 in the semifinal and Kosovo 1-0 in the final. The top two finishers from each of the 48-team tournament’s 12 groups advance, along with the eight best third-place teams. A loss on June 25 could end Turkey’s run.

The bureau’s guide, published on its Visit Pasadena website, lays out the transit route: Metro A Line to Union Station, then a transfer to LA Metro’s direct-service buses to the stadium, a trip of approximately 25 miles taking one hour and 20 minutes to one hour and 40 minutes, according to the guide. LA Metro is running nonstop shuttles from 15 locations across Los Angeles and Orange counties for every match. “You can ride Metro Rail or Metro Bus for just $1.75 each way,” Metro spokesperson Patrick Chandler told KTLA.

Pasadena’s connection to the World Cup runs deeper than transit. The Rose Bowl hosted eight matches during the 1994 FIFA World Cup, including the final between Brazil and Italy, which drew 94,194 spectators. For the June 12 opener, the City of Pasadena hosted a free watch party at the Civic Auditorium Plaza at 300 East Green Street, organized by the city’s Economic Development Division with the Pasadena Center Operating Company and the Los Angeles County Fifth District, with funding from LA Metro and Verizon, according to a city press release. “We are thrilled to welcome the excitement and energy of the world’s biggest soccer tournament to our city,” Michael Ross, chief executive officer of the Pasadena Center Operating Company, said in the press release.

The guide also highlights local sports bars, including Lucky Baldwin’s Pub in Old Pasadena, an old-school British pub with more than 60 rotating beers, and Kings Row Gastropub, an official LAFC partner. Barney’s Beanery, Rocco’s Tavern, Freddie’s 35er, Congregation Ale House, Hot Wings Cafe, and T. Boyle’s Tavern are also listed. Tickets are sold exclusively through FIFA.com, digital-only via the FWC2026 Mobile Tickets app. The guide is at visitpasadena.com/pasadena-football-world-championship-guide.

Thirty-two years after Brazil and Italy settled a World Cup final on penalty kicks in Pasadena, the tournament is back in Los Angeles — and the city at the foot of the San Gabriel Mountains is once again opening its doors.

FIFA World Cup 2026 — Türkiye/Romania/Slovakia/Kosovo vs. USA |Thursday, June 25, 2026, 7:00 p.m. | SoFi Stadium, Inglewood (Pasadena is the official accommodations/transit gateway) USA’s third group-stage match. | 🔗 https://www.visitpasadena.com/pasadena-football-world-championship-guide/