Predictions that the FIFA World Cup 2026 games will attract more than $1 billion in spending at Southern California hotels, restaurants and tourist hotspots this summer are beginning to look a little shaky.
A major hotel trade group is tamping down a previously upbeat forecast, saying FIFA itself has canceled “thousands of downtown Los Angeles rooms” while simultaneously, geopolitical events — including the U.S. and Israel-led war in Iran — have put a damper on international travel to the area as jet fuel shortages plague flights globally.
With the Iran soccer team playing in Los Angeles, the tight-knit Persian community in Westwood has lowered its expectations somewhat regarding visitors flooding their stores.
An American flag hangs at the front of Mohammad Ghafari’s Shater Abbass Bakery & Market along Westwood, where crates of pomegranates, oranges, watermelon and other…
