FIFA chief warns LA of World Cup 'happy barbarians'

FIFA President Gianni Infantino warned Los Angeles on Tuesday that it was about to be invaded by soccer fans from around the world, as he helped launch World Cup festivities at a star-studded kickoff party at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

Speaking ahead of this week's opening matches, Infantino said the city would become a global gathering point during the 48-team tournament, which begins in Mexico City on Thursday before Los Angeles hosts the first U.S. match on Friday.

"You will be invaded," Infantino told the crowd.

"You will be invaded by a horde of barbarians. But it's happy barbarians, don't worry."

The event drew entertainment and sports figures, including actors Will Ferrell and Brendan Hunt, singer Lance Bass, former NBA player Robert Horry, and U.S. soccer greats Mia Hamm and Cobi Jones.

'UNITE THE WORLD'

Infantino said the tournament would turn Los Angeles and other host cities into a sea of national colors as fans of all ages arrive in jerseys, flags and face paint.

"Men, women, children, grandparents, doesn't matter, they will all have their faces colored with the colors of their countries," he said.

"They will just want to enjoy and have fun because that's what we want to do with the World Cup - we want to unite the world."

The tournament, hosted by the U.S., Mexico and Canada, is the first to feature 48 national teams. Infantino said a quarter of the world's countries would be represented on the field, while billions more would follow the tournament globally.

"This is not just a World Cup," he said. "This will be the biggest and greatest FIFA World Cup in history."

LOS ANGELES IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Los Angeles is scheduled to host eight matches, along with fan festivals and 10 fan zones across the area. Infantino thanked local organizers for staging the events, saying the city's role reflected its standing as "the capital of entertainment in the world."

The U.S. will open their campaign on Friday at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood against Paraguay after an opening ceremony featuring musical performances by Katy Perry, Future and Anitta.

Infantino likened the scale of the tournament to staging "104 Super Bowls" over a little more than a month, referring to the total number of matches across the three host countries.

"For the next month and a half, we can call it football or soccer, as long as we enjoy and have fun," he said.