TO:
Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
THROUGH:
Talyn Mirzakhanian, City Manager
FROM:
Jesse Alexander, Fire Chief
Rachel Johnson, Police Chief
Alexandria Latragna, Communications and Civic Engagement Manager
SUBJECT:Title
Consideration of Actions Taken in Preparation for the 2026 FIFA World Cup (No Budget Impact) (City Manager Mirzakhanian).
(Estimated Time: 15 Min.)
RECEIVE AND FILE
Body
_________________________________________________________
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the City Council receive a report on the actions taken by the City in preparation for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
There are no fiscal implications associated with receiving and filing this report. Over the course of the World Cup operations in June and July, City staff recorded 5,734.73 hours of overtime, as well as rental costs for barriers, fencing, and a generator, all of which were submitted as eligible costs. Three reimbursement requests totaling $1,595,608.83 were submitted to the LA Host Committee, which includes $1,406,952.66 for eligible overtime over the two-month period at the City’s applicable fully burdened rates and $188,656.17 for the identified rental costs. The City’s reimbursement requests were submitted to the LA Host Committee in August 2026 and are currently in process.
|
Month |
Overtime |
|
Jun-26 |
4,527.48 |
|
Jul-26 |
1,207.25 |
|
Total |
5,734.73 |
|
Total Reimbursement Request |
Amount |
|
Overtime |
1,406,952.66 |
|
Invoice for Rentals |
188,656.17 |
|
Total |
1,595,608.83 |
During the World Cup period of June and July 2026, the City received nearly $2.5 million in Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) revenue, an increase of $560,993 over the $1.9 million received for the same period in 2025. Of these amounts, $587,271 was from short-term rental remittances in 2026 (148 locations reported in June and 142 in July) compared to $298,470 received from short-term rental operators (104 in June and 91 in July) in the prior year.
BACKGROUND:
The FIFA World Cup 2026 was hosted jointly by the United States, Canada, and Mexico from June 11 to July 19, 2026. Los Angeles was one of 11 U.S. host cities, with eight matches played at Los Angeles Stadium (SoFi Stadium) in Inglewood between June 12 and July 10, including the tournament’s opening U.S. match and a quarterfinal.
The Westdrift Hotel in Manhattan Beach was designated an official FIFA Venue Specific Team Hotel (VSTH). This made Manhattan Beach responsible for the safety and security of national team delegations including players, coaches, team management, and FIFA officials, for the length of their stay.
The international profile of the event, its proximity to LAX, and the security requirements of national teams required a level of planning beyond the City’s standard special event protocols. Planning began in 2025, more than 16 months before the first match and involved almost every department in the City.
DISCUSSION:
In April 2025, preparation for the FIFA World Cup 2026 and the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games was added to the City Council Work Plan. The Council then formed an ad hoc Olympics and FIFA World Cup Subcommittee, made up of two councilmembers, City staff, and business leaders to guide the City’s approach to both events.
Staff supported the Subcommittee from July 2025 through May 2026.
Through the Subcommittee, staff:
• Explored community engagement options, including a FlashVote survey on resident interest and concerns (October 2025)
• Reviewed potential impacts from short-term rentals during the tournament (January 2026)
• Developed the World Cup street banner program, presented to City Council
• Began transitioning lessons and relationships toward LA28 Olympic planning
Concept of Operations Plan
The Fire and Police Departments prepared a Concept of Operations (CONOPS) Plan that served as the City’s operational framework for the Team Hotel mission, from setup through demobilization.
The Police and Fire Departments, with federal, State, regional, and local partners, committed to a safe, secure, and dignified environment for teams, FIFA officials, staff, and the public. The plan set six objectives:
1. Keep team delegations and accredited personnel at the Westdrift Hotel safe and secure.
2. Maintain coordinated communications and a common operating picture with all partners.
3. Provide timely, accurate, and consistent public information with FIFA, the LA World Cup 2026 Host Committee, and partner agencies.
4. Identify, monitor, and mitigate threats and hazards.
5. Transition quickly to emergency response if an incident occurs.
6. Return to routine operations efficiently after each operational period.
Between February 2025 and June 2026, City staff took part in 108 recorded planning meetings, trainings, and exercises. These included site surveys of the Westdrift Hotel and Manhattan Country Club, FIFA Risk Prioritization Tool sessions, U.S. Secret Service protective analysis meetings, airspace and drone coordination with federal partners, LA Metro coordination, grant subrecipient meetings, a four-day Integrated Emergency Management Course for FIFA, FEMA trainings, EOC readiness training, a regional full-scale exercise, and a City tabletop exercise with all parties on June 2, 2026.
Staff identified and evaluated 25 threats and hazards using the FIFA Risk Prioritization Tool, which scores a risk as a threat times vulnerability times consequence. Crowd management, fan group activity, vehicle safety near pedestrians, fireworks, hazardous materials, and cyber threats ranked the highest, and mitigation for each high-priority risk was built into operations.
Police served as the lead law enforcement agency, with Police and Fire in Unified Command under NIMS, SEMS, and the Incident Command System. Operations ran in three phases:
1. Setup and arrival preparation, beginning 24 to 48 hours before each team arrived: barriers and fencing installed, an Incident Command Post opened at Village Field, access control and credential checks activated, and ambulances pre-staged on Parkview Avenue for key events.
2. Active team operations: 24-hour perimeter security, convoy escorts for training and match-day travel to SoFi Stadium coordinated with CHP and FIFA Security, traffic management on Rosecrans Avenue, Parkview Avenue, and Marriott Drive, and patrols in downtown and along the beach.
3. Departure and demobilization: convoy escort to LAX, removal of barriers and signage by Public Works, and roadways restored to normal.
The City EOC operated at Level 1 (watch) throughout, with FIFA issues routed to the regional Joint Tournament Operations Center (JTOC) at Inglewood City Hall and the International Police Cooperation Center (IPCC). A layered access control system limited the secured hotel areas to FIFA-accredited personnel and hotel guests, while public areas along the right-of-way remained open.
A comprehensive Communications Plan was developed to identify command, tactical, and interoperability channels for law enforcement, fire/EMS, and mutual aid operations.
Fire Department rescue ambulances were pre-staged on site for specific events, Manhattan Beach CERT volunteers staffed a first aid station, and three nearby hospitals were identified, including Harbor-UCLA Medical Center as the regional trauma center. The Conops plan defined a mass casualty protocol aligned with LA County and pre-identified resource requests for hazardous materials, urban search and rescue, and medical countermeasures.
The plan set clear criteria for evacuating the hotel or suspending operations, options for managing an emergency during the event, a cancellation procedure that included immediate notification to the City PIO, and the key command decisions to address in any incident.
Interdepartmental Coordination
The Team Hotel mission drew on nearly every City department. Police, Fire, and the City Manager's Office met regularly in internal planning sessions and joint risk assessment meetings beginning in October 2025, and each department carried defined responsibilities into operations.
|
Department |
Role |
|
Police |
Lead law enforcement agency and Unified Command; co-authored the CONOPS Plan; perimeter security, access control, convoy operations, traffic management, and coordination with FIFA Security and federal partners |
|
Fire |
Unified Command; co-authored the CONOPS Plan; fire protection, EMS, ambulance staging, mass casualty planning, radiological facility sweeps, EOC readiness, and the regional JTOC planning committee |
|
City Manager's Office |
Executive coordination; public information, JIC staffing, Subcommittee support, and the banner program |
|
Information Technology |
Dedicated phone lines for an emergency public information hotline; security of City networks, systems, and devices to guard against cyber attacks |
|
Community Development |
Analysis and proposal to City Council on short-term rental activity during the tournament. On January 20, 2026, an ordinance was brought for City Council consideration to allow short-term rental activity outside of the Coast Zone during the World Cup, however, the ordinance was not approved. |
|
Public Works |
Installation and removal of barriers, fencing, and signage; right-of-way and utility coordination; traffic control plan |
|
Parks and Recreation |
Facility support, including use of Village Field for the Incident Command Post and the Community Room for staging and briefings |
|
Finance |
Budget tracking, grant administration, and cost recovery |
|
CERT volunteers |
First aid station staffing near the Incident Command Post |
Emergency Communications Preparations
Staff prepared to inform the public quickly and accurately in any scenario, from routine traffic changes to a major emergency. Communications staff completed Area G WebEOC training, EOC Management Section training, media relations training, three days of Public Information All-Hazards Incident training, FEMA IPAWS training for Wireless Emergency Alerts, and training on the regional Titan and DLAN coordination platforms.
Key preparation included:
• Template library. 108 pre-approved emergency communications templates covering 27 incident types, each with talking points, a press release, and social media posts, so messages could be issued within minutes.
• Pre-scripted field messages. Public address scripts for perimeter safety and evacuation, and a pre-event media statement from the Police Department.
• Alert and warning channels. Wireless Emergency Alerts for catastrophic incidents only, Alert SouthBay for local notifications, a public information hotline ready to activate, and City, Police, and Fire websites and social media.
• Regional alert opt-in. A digital toolkit promoting the FIFALA26 emergency alert opt-in system to residents and visitors.
• Resident and visitor information. Traffic advisory web content for both Manhattan Beach and Inglewood, and Council communications on road closures near the Westdrift Hotel.
• Approval protocols. Incident-specific information approved by the Incident Commander before release, and "See Something, Say Something" messaging built into pre-event outreach.
• Contingency messaging. Frameworks for protest activity and a Police Chief statement on security preparations at the hotel.
Joint Information Center
Manhattan Beach was a core partner in the regional FIFA World Cup 2026 Joint Information Center (JIC), which coordinated public messaging among the City of Inglewood, the Host Committee, and regional, State, and federal agencies. Communications and Civic Engagement Manager Alexandria Latragna served as the JIC's Writing and Dissemination Lead.
The JIC operated for 42 days: 16 days at full in-person activation, three days at partial activation, and 23 days of duty monitoring. Manhattan Beach staff worked in the JIC on all eight match days at SoFi Stadium.
Staff took part in JIC planning meetings from December 2025 through May 2026, the Strategic Communications Working Group, a full JIC practice during the April 29, 2026 regional exercise, and FIFA JIC training. In the JIC, staff:
• Wrote the media advisory introducing the JIC
• Built branded JIC fact sheet and talking point templates for all partner agencies
• Turned daily briefing notes into executive summaries for JIC leadership
• Monitored rumors, team travel, and provided informational updates to match attendees
This role gave Manhattan Beach a direct line into regional decision-making and ensured any incident at the Team Hotel would be communicated consistently across every agency involved.
Joint Tournament Operations Center
In support of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Emergency Preparedness Administrator Ashley Hopson played a key role in representing the City of Manhattan Beach at the Joint Tournament Operations Center (JTOC) in Inglewood. The JTOC was activated for a total of 34 days, including 26 days of full operational activation, to coordinate public safety operations during team arrivals, match days, and departures. Extensive planning, interagency meetings, and specialized training occurred from December 2025 through June 2026, culminating in a full-scale exercise at SoFi Stadium involving local, county, state, federal, and FIFA tournament partners.
Serving as a centralized, multi-agency coordination center, the JTOC facilitated real-time situational awareness, intelligence sharing, resource coordination, and operational decision-making throughout the tournament. Hopson participated in all 26 days of full JTOC activation, serving as the City's primary emergency management liaison within this regional coordination effort. In this capacity, she maintained direct communication with the Manhattan Beach Police Department (MBPD) and Manhattan Beach Fire Department (MBFD), providing timely intelligence and operational updates regarding team movements and activities affecting Manhattan Beach. Her involvement helped ensure that City public safety personnel remained informed of evolving conditions, anticipated potential operational impacts, and maintained readiness throughout the event.
International Police Cooperation Center
The International Police Cooperation Center (IPCC) served as the centralized, multi-agency coordination hub for law enforcement agencies during the FIFA World Cup. The IPCC connected domestic agencies with international law enforcement and intelligence representatives in a physical co-location to provide real-time information sharing, unified situational awareness, and multi-agency integration. Manhattan Beach sent Police Department leadership representatives to the IPCC to provide a direct communication line to law enforcement and international partners to enhance our public safety response.
Unified Command Post
A Command Post was established at Village Field to manage FIFA operations at the Westdrift. The Command Post served as the hub for public safety activity. Regional and Federal partners utilized the Command Post with MBPD and MBFD when those resources were requested.
Banner Program
To welcome visitors and celebrate the City's role as a Team Hotel host, staff developed a World Cup street pole banner program, presented to City Council on March 3, 2026. Staff coordinated banner design, production, and installation logistics in April 2026. A total of 120 banners were installed throughout the City at key locations during the World Cup at a cost of $5,821.20 to fabricate and $9,131.06 to install, maintain, and remove. Once the World Cup concluded in July, staff began selling the banners through the City Store. A total of 50 banners were sold for $8,765 as of the publishing of this report.
The relationships, plans, and tools built for the World Cup will carry directly into planning for the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Staff will apply lessons from the after-action review and continue working with the Subcommittee and regional partners as LA28 planning moves forward.