Englewood, Calif. – Friday night. Los Angeles Stadium. The United States just won their opening game of the 2026 World Cup, 4-1 over Paraguay. It was their best game under USMNT Head Coach Mauricio Pochettino. It was possibly their best result EVER at a World Cup. Poch sat down for the post-game press conference and before even taking a question, he criticized the FIFA press conference room “setup.”
“What is going on? This is terrible. It’s impossible to work with this noise,” said the manager, pointing to the members of the media. He implied that it was impossible for the journalists to work.
The press room was in the underbelly hallway of the stadium. It was a make-shift setup with curtains in the wide hallway. There was plenty of ambient noise. Stadium vehicles were driving back and forth. Workers were moving back and forth. Journalists herding to the mixed zone. It was not quiet.
The curtains did not go all the way up and did not appear to be secured at the base. Someone could slip under them if security did not stop them. I could the tossed something over the 10 feet high curtains.
“It’s annoying me. With an amazing stadium, we don’t have room for an important press conference,” added, turning towards the FIFA officer assigned to the United States.
Then the press conference went on as normal.
At the end, Poch turned again to the FIFA representative and said, “Call FIFA. Fix that problem.”
This is just another little way this World Cup is sub-optimal. Los Angeles Stadium (SoFi Stadium) is an amazing NFL stadium. It’s been open for six years. Maybe the regular press room the Rams and Chargers use was being used by FIFA for something else. But still.
A bunch of curtains where you can hear noise from a loading dock? Is it like this everywhere? Will it be like this in East Rutherford for the final?
How it compares to MLS press conference rooms:
But, as a member of the press, it was vindicating for Poch to go out of his way to say what others were thinking.
As a Colorado Rapids beat reporter, the club has done well with what they have. DICK’s Sporting Goods Park was built before there were considerations for big media contingency. The normal press room doubles as a team video and meeting room. It works.
For larger press conferences, such as a national team game, a larger room at DSGP is used. It’s good normally. When the USMNT was in town last October, there was an open door that was making a noise repeatedly due to the wind. Poch commented that he thought it was a washing machine, during the Matchday -1 presser. The post game presser the following day was moved to the Rapids press room. It was tight, but it worked.
DSGP is a flawed MLS venue. But it adapts to the needs of international football better than a $5 billion NFL stadium. To use Pochettino’s words, it’s annoying, terrible, and impossible.
We’ll see if this is improved over the course of the tournament.
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Eamon Shaw 
Spencer Baldwin 