Sofía Vergara is ready for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, but she already has one problem before the biggest matches on her calendar: deciding which relatives get tickets.
The Colombian actress told People that she expects to attend the first U.S. game in Los Angeles on June 12, the final in the New York/New Jersey area on July 19, and a few additional games in New York during the tournament.
Vergara, 53, said the ticket situation has become tricky because so many family members want to go with her. “It’s been kind of like a little bit of a struggle to pick who deserves to go to the World Cup,” she said, according to HOLA! USA.
She still described the process as fun, especially because the tournament gives her family a reason to gather around Colombia, food, music, and the kind of loud match-day energy she grew up with.
Vergara Says Family Makes the World Cup Better
Vergara told People that her ideal World Cup setup includes good food, music, drinks, and relatives in the same room. She described family gatherings as a mix of eating, complaining, fighting a little, enjoying each other, and having fun.
People also reported that she is planning home viewing parties for Colombia’s matches, with dancing, decorations, and empanadas from TOMA, the gourmet Latin empanada company she co-owns with her son, Manolo Gonzalez Vergara.
Colombia Keeps the Tournament Personal
Vergara was born in Barranquilla, Colombia, and has spoken about how strongly the World Cup is tied to her childhood memories. In a separate interview covered by HOLA! USA, she recalled the 1994 World Cup in the United States and named Colombian players Faustino Asprilla, René Higuita, and Carlos Valderrama as figures who felt larger than life to fans at the time.
“For us, they were like gods, and every match, every emotion from that World Cup was incredible,” Vergara said, according to HOLA! USA.
She also said soccer is “not the same in English,” pointing to the language, rhythm, and emotion that come with watching matches as a Spanish-speaking fan.
Shakira Gives Her Another Reason to Watch the Final
Vergara also said she is excited about Shakira’s role in the tournament. HOLA! USA reported that Shakira is set to perform during the World Cup Final Halftime Show, and Vergara said the singer had recently texted her to ask whether she would be in Los Angeles for the games.
Vergara said she expects Shakira to deliver the kind of performance fans know from her. Both women are among Colombia’s most famous global entertainers, and Shakira’s involvement adds another Colombian connection to Vergara’s World Cup plans.
Los Angeles and New York Are on Her Schedule
The 2026 World Cup began June 11 and runs through the final on July 19. People reported that the U.S. Men’s National Team’s first game was scheduled for June 12 in Los Angeles, while the final will be held at New York New Jersey Stadium, known outside the tournament as MetLife Stadium, in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
Those dates explain why the ticket decisions are not easy for Vergara. She is choosing who gets to join her for some of the tournament’s biggest U.S. moments, including the first American match in Los Angeles and the final outside New York.
The Parties Also Come With a Health Message
Vergara has also connected her World Cup gatherings to Boehringer Ingelheim’s Detect the SOS campaign, which encourages people with diabetes or high blood pressure to ask about kidney health risks and the uACR test. People reported that Vergara sees family gatherings as a natural place to start health conversations because everyone is already together.
She acknowledged that those conversations can be difficult when relatives do not want to hear them, but said the World Cup gives her family a reason to sit down, eat, watch Colombia, and talk about things that often get pushed aside.