Son Heung-min, a world-class football star born in South Korea, has recently become the “Honorary Angeleno”
While conveying the good news, the Los Angeles Tourism Hall in the United States released the “Guide to Soccer in Los Angeles” to the city of Son Heung-min’s life.
There is another reason for welcome this tour guide. As the 2026 FIFA North-China United States World Cup is about to be held, we look forward to becoming a guide for fans and tourists around the world to enjoy Los Angeles in new ways.
From the Dodgers’ kickoff to the honorary citizens, Los Angeles has caused a lot of controversy over Son Heung-min
Son Heung-min kicked off for the team at the Dodger Stadium, the home court of the Los Angeles Dodgers, a giant team in Major League Baseball team, on the 27th (local time).
The kickoff was an event held before the home first game of MLS (Major League Soccer), leaving fans around the world with the impression of a special event connecting football and baseball.
The Los Angeles Tourism Bureau is the only sponsor in the region to be selected as the host city of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and is also an official publicity and tourism hall.
This means that Los Angeles has surpassed its simple venue and has successfully accumulated its status as the central city of the world sports stage.
There are also statistics supporting this situation. In the 2025 WalletHub survey, Los Angeles was selected as the number one “pro-soccer city” in the United States.
In the 52 project evaluations conducted on 290 cities across the country, overwhelming scores were achieved in terms of field proximity, number of championships, fan culture, etc.
The Los Angeles Tourism Hall plans to launch a global publicity campaign to promote a total of 8 games, including SoFi Stadium, to the world.
Los Angeles is centered on the two teams of Los Angeles Galaxy and Los Angeles FC, and maintains the MLS record for the most championships.
In addition, Angel City FC (NWSL), a female football team led by Hollywood celebrities such as Natalie Portman, has also added strength.
In addition, including the 2026 FIFA World Cup, major events such as the large international competitions to be held at Sofi Stadium and the Copa America scheduled to be held at Rose Bowl Stadium, Los Angeles is becoming a truly global football city.
In particular, Son Heung-min’s joining is expected to become a symbolic bridge connecting South Korea and LA.
South Korea is the core market of Los Angeles. More than 300,000 people visited in 2024 alone, an increase of about 14% year-on-year, showing double-digit growth.
The Los Angeles Tourism Hall, which has the world’s largest overseas Korean community and a wealth of direct flights to LAX, predicts that this growth momentum will continue in the future.
The Los Angeles Football Travel Guide also includes world-class stadium tours such as Sofa Stadium and Dodger Stadium, watching MLS·NWSL games, communicating with the local fan community, and a sports bar and cultural space where you can enjoy the football craze.
Adam Burke, director of the Los Angeles Tourism Hall, said: “The ‘Honored Angel’ Son Heung-min joins Los Angeles FC, not only a sports fan, but also a far-reaching moment for Los Angeles.” “I look forward to fans around the world, including South Korea, to experience the enthusiasm of the arena and enjoy the colorful charm provided by Los Angeles.”
Tour guide for the global football city “Los Angeles”
The first topic to be examined is the world-class competition venues representing Los Angeles. Since you are on a football trip, you should go to the football stadium in person to experience the enthusiasm at least once on the schedule.
The Sofa Stadium is an ultra-modern stadium with 70,000 seats, including the opening game of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with a total of 8 games to be held.
This is also the stage for super-large events such as the NFL, Super Bowl, and the Olympics. From ordinary travel to group travel to private travel, there are a variety of tourism projects.
BMO Stadium is a football-specific stadium with 22,000 seats. It is the home court of LAFC and a holy place for fans’ culture. It is famous for its support area known as “The 3252”.
Dodger Stadium is the home court of the Los Angeles Dodgers legend and also the place to kick off for Son Heung-min.
It not only provides a special experience on the day of the game, but also provides behind-the-scenes tours where you can visit a variety of facilities such as the courts, club residences, courtyards, and more.
LA Galaxy’s home court, “Dignity Health Sports Park”, has 27,000 seats. This is one of the earliest football-specific arenas in the United States, and it is an active stage for legendary players such as Langdon Donovan and David Beckham.
The “Professional Competitions that cannot be missed” recommended by the Los Angeles Tourism Hall is as follows.
LAFC is an emerging force that won the MLS Cup championship in 2022. Son Heung-min joined in 2025 and has attracted worldwide attention.
In particular, the “El Tráfico” derby with LA Galaxy is considered the best matchup for MLS.
The LA Galaxy team, which competes with LAFC, is the MLS champion team (6 times), and is a well-known team with active superstars such as Beckham, Zlatan, and Langdon Donovan. The “California Classic” with rival San Jose Usquix is a must-see game.
You can’t miss the match of the NWSL (Women’s Professional Football League) team Angel City FC (Angel City FC), founded in 2022.
At the time of its founding, famous people such as Natalie Portman participated as the owner of the Angel City FC team, which became a hot topic and has now become a symbol of innovation in women’s sports.
In Los Angeles, the world’s sports capital, there are attractions everywhere in the city where supporters can feel their culture.
LAFC has over 40 partner bars. La Cita Bar, located in downtown LA, is LAFC’s official bar partner.
In addition to the LAFC game, La City Bar is also the best place to enjoy Mexican League matches with Mexican football matches and the national team “El Tri”.
In particular, “La Chuperia” in Lincoln Heights and “King of Wings” in downtown Los Angeles are considered a mecca for LAFC fans.
LA Galaxy fans gathered in the bar partner “OB’s Pub & Grill” in Manhattan Beach to cheer for fans.
In the “Britannia Pub” in Santa Monica, as a base for Leeds United Fan Club, you can enjoy the international football craze together.
Studio City’s The Fox and Hounds, Ye Olde King’s Head in Santa Monica, Lucky Baldwin’s Pub in Pasadena, Barney’s Beanery in West Hollywood, etc. are representative attractions frequently visited by fans from all over the world.
The Football Boutique, a football culture editorial store located in the LA fashion district in the city center, has launched a variety of community activities and has become the “football culture center”. This place not only sells sportswear and street clothing, but also sells various peripheral products, which is worth a visit.
After watching the game and enjoying the stadium tour, the world-class food experience is waiting from Hollywood attractions, the beachfront of Santa Monica, the art district in the city center, Michelin restaurants to street burritos.
The most exciting thing is the FIFA World Cup held in June 2026. During the World Cup, street cheers, live concerts and cultural performances will be held throughout Los Angeles at the same time, and the entire city will become a huge celebration stage.
