A senior executive said SoFi Stadium is heading into its next major events with greater confidence after successfully handling month-long crowds at the FIFA World Cup, using a temporary grass field, and implementing strict security measures for politically sensitive matches.

The $5 billion stadium in Inglewood, California hosted eight World Cup matches, including the United States' opening match and two matches for Iran's national team, without any major incidents.

Otto Benedict, senior vice president of venue and arena affairs for SoFi Stadium and Hollywood Park, affirmed that this experience was the result of years of planning.

Benedict told Reuters: 'I think things went very well from a public safety perspective.'

He added: 'Given the number of matches, their magnitude, and hosting two matches for Iran's national team... the efforts of all our law enforcement partners, federal agencies, and even local ones came together.'

This series of matches served as a successful test for the stadium, which will host the NFL Super Bowl in February, as well as swimming competitions and the opening and closing ceremonies of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.

Benedict noted that the stadium's systems for ticketing, crowd flow, food and beverage services, and entry and exit proved effective under the repeated pressure of the World Cup, as large numbers of fans visited the stadium for the first time.

He said: 'At no point during our walk-throughs did we think, hey, this space is too tight, there's not enough room here... we saw everything running very smoothly.'

Benedict pointed out that football crowds create a different operational pattern than those at NFL games; 'more fans leave their seats during halftime and put pressure on concourses, concessions, and restrooms at the same time.'

Benedict said the stadium handled those flows successfully and provided staff with useful information for future events.

The stadium also earned praise for the temporary natural grass installed specifically for the tournament.

Benedict added that the pitch exceeded expectations and its vitality increased as events continued, but he said 'keeping the grass permanently is not realistic for a stadium that hosts two NFL teams, concerts, and other events.' He said: 'It wouldn't be feasible,' citing the stadium's depth below ground, its roof structure, and the year-round schedule of events.

Although Benedict believed SoFi Stadium 'should have, without a doubt, hosted a semifinal or the final,' he noted that 'the World Cup nonetheless proved its readiness to host another Super Bowl, after also hosting it in 2022, as well as its preparedness for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games.'

He said: 'This gives us the ability to tell anyone coming here, even regarding stadium operations, that what we are doing is right... let's keep moving forward with these matters.'