'I love America!': With the World Cup, Inglewood becomes an international hub
Key takeaways
- Daiki Kaneko had only 24 hours before his World Cup journey took him to Dallas, where his home country’s squad will take on Sweden.
- For Kaneko, 25, who lives in the Tokyo suburbs, it was the perfect encapsulation of American grandeur.
- “All this for chicken,” he said. “I love America.”
Bartender Elijah Gonzalez mixes a drink at the Nile Bar in Inglewood while customers watch Croatia play England as businesses and locals embrace the World Cup soccer tournament. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) By Jack Flemming Staff Writer Follow June 19, 2026 3 AM PT 7 min Click here to listen to this article Share via Close extra sharing options Email Facebook X Linked In Threads Reddit Whats App Copy Link URL Copied! Print 0:00 0:00 1x This is read by an automated voice. Please report any issues or inconsistencies here.
Daiki Kaneko had only 24 hours before his World Cup journey took him to Dallas, where his home country’s squad will take on Sweden.
The Japanese soccer fan was making the most of it on Tuesday in Inglewood, snapping pictures of SoFi Stadium before taking in a different kind of monument: a space-age, two-story branch of the chicken chain Raising Cane’s, complete with a 308-square-foot screen, a mirrored dog sculpture and a massive halo hovering around the exterior.