With the FIFA World Cup set to transform Los Angeles into one of the epicenters of global sport, Australian officials, civic leaders, business executives, and members of Australia’s national football team gathered Friday inside a Qantas maintenance hangar near Los Angeles International Airport to celebrate the arrival of the CommBank Socceroos and reflect on the opportunities the tournament presents for both cities and communities.
Hosted by Qantas Airways and the Australian Consulate-General in Los Angeles, the event served as both a welcome reception and a broader conversation about sport’s ability to connect nations, drive economic development, and leave lasting community impact.
For Los Angeles leaders, the World Cup represents far more than a month of matches. “This is kind of the kickoff to the arrival of the entire world in Los Angeles,” said Paul Krekorian, City of Los Angeles' Executive Director of Major Events, who oversees the city’s preparations for a historic run of major global events, including the FIFA World Cup, Super Bowl, and the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Krekorian emphasized that the true measure of success will not be attendance figures or television audiences, but the long-term benefits left behind for Angelenos. Under Mayor Karen Bass’s “Games for All” vision, city leaders are focused on ensuring investments tied to the World Cup and Olympics extend beyond stadiums through workforce development, accessibility improvements, public infrastructure, youth programs, and community engagement initiatives. “I’m excited about the idea of future generations looking back at this period in time and thinking that was the moment we were able to create these benefits,” Krekorian said. “In the same way that we look back at the 1984 Olympics today and see how much we’re still benefiting from them.”
Among the initiatives he highlighted are more than 100 free public activations planned throughout Los Angeles neighborhoods, designed to bring the World Cup experience directly into communities and ensure residents can participate regardless of their ability to purchase tickets. “It was important that these events be accessible to everyone,” Krekorian said. “We’re bringing the games to the communities.”
The event’s setting reflected another theme echoed throughout the morning - the power of connection. Standing beneath a Boeing 787 Dreamliner undergoing maintenance, Qantas Executive Vice President, Americas' Ash Howell welcomed guests to what he described as “a little piece of Australia in the heart of Los Angeles.” “This isn’t a prop,” Howell joked. “This is a live working hangar.” The facility, one of the largest commercial aircraft hangars in the Northern Hemisphere, serves as a critical operational hub for Qantas’ North American network. Los Angeles remains one of the airline’s most important international gateways, supporting up to 21 flights each week and connecting nearly 800,000 passengers annually between Australia and the United States.
Yet Howell said the gathering represented something larger than aviation. “Connection is really the reason we’re all here today,” he said. “Moments like this remind us that connection is about more than distance. It’s about people, teams, and the pride that travels with them.”
That theme was echoed by Australian Counsel General Tanya Bennett, who highlighted sport’s unique ability to strengthen relationships between nations while creating opportunities for business, tourism, and cultural exchange. “Sport unites communities, creates lasting legacies, and brings people together,” Bennett said. “The FIFA World Cup is a global opportunity to showcase excellence, inspire future generations, and deepen the connections between our countries.”
That spirit of connection was echoed by Tanya Bennett, who emphasized that the World Cup represents far more than competition on the field.
“Sport really does play a unique role in showcasing Australia’s identity and culture right here in the United States,” Bennett said. “Sport unites communities, creates lasting legacies, and brings people together.”
Bennett noted that the tournament provides a rare opportunity to strengthen ties between Australia and the United States while highlighting the depth of the countries’ relationship across tourism, trade, investment, and cultural exchange. She described the World Cup as a moment when visitors, supporters, business leaders, and communities come together around a shared global experience.
Looking ahead to Australia’s matchup against the United States, Bennett called it “a special moment between our countries—a fierce competition between the closest of allies and friends,” underscoring the role sport can play in building international relationships while inspiring future generations on both sides of the Pacific.
For the athletes, the moment carried a more personal meaning. Veteran goalkeeper and captain Mathew Ryan, preparing for his fourth FIFA World Cup, reflected on the significance of representing Australia on the sport’s biggest stage. “Every chance I get to wear this badge is special,” Ryan said. “It’s an example of me living my dream.”
For younger players, the opportunity represents the realization of aspirations formed years earlier while watching previous generations of Socceroos compete. “It would mean everything,” said Alessandro Circati, who hopes to appear in his first World Cup. “It’s a dream I’ve had since I was a little boy.”
Midfielder Cameron Devlin described the tournament as “the pinnacle of sport,” while emphasizing that the opportunity to represent Australia remains the greatest honor. “We’re just normal Australian boys who are fortunate enough to be in this position,” Devlin said. “To wear the Australian badge on your chest every day is something we don’t take for granted.”
Head coach Tony Popovic connected the current squad to Australia’s football history, recalling the nation’s breakthrough qualification for the 2006 FIFA World Cup after a 32-year absence. “We broke the barrier - since then we’ve shown we belong on this stage,” said Popovic.
As attendees gathered over Australian coffee from Bluestone Lane and looked out across the active maintenance floor, the event served as a reminder that the World Cup’s impact extends well beyond the pitch.
For Australia, it is an opportunity to showcase national identity. For Los Angeles, it's a chance to demonstrate global leadership while creating lasting community benefits, and for the athletes preparing to compete, it is the culmination of dreams years in the making. As the countdown to kickoff continues, the message from inside the hangar was clear that the World Cup is about more than sport, but about connection, opportunity, and the legacy left behind long after the final whistle.
"I'm excited about the idea of future generations looking back at this period in time and thinking that was the moment we were able to create these benefits, in the same way that we look back at the 1984 Olympics," said Krekorian.