SoFi Stadium is one of the biggest stars of the

Erling Haaland and SoFi Stadium, women and gents. Your breakout stars of the World Cup.

We’ve all fallen for the blond ahead who has rowed Norway to its first World Cup quarterfinal berth — and also for SoFi Stadium.

Or “Los Angeles Stadium,” FIFA’s designation for the $5.5-billion architectural masterpiece that welcomed the world to Inglewood.

I cowl Rams and Chargers video games there usually, but the World Cup modified how I really feel about the place. It has more soul now, more character.

There is more historical past hooked up, “core memories,” as Kevin Demoff, president of dad or mum company Kroenke Sports & Entertainment, put it.

The exultation when the United States went up 1-0 in the seventh minute of its tournament-opening, 4-1 victory over Paraguay? “That’s now a core memory of this stadium,” Demoff said.

So is the proud Iranian diaspora exhibiting up en masse to principally assist Team Melli twice, in attracts with New Zealand and Belgium.

And the objective by LAFC’s Stephen Eustáquio in the second minute of second-half stoppage time to lead Canada to a 1-0 victory over South Africa in its first knockout sport.

And Spain’s taut, 2-1 victory over Belgium in Friday’s high-stakes quarterfinals match.

FIFA may say these sensational scenes put L.A. — our tiny hamlet of more than 18 million people — “on the map.”

What they did was put SoFi Stadium on everybody’s radar as one of the world’s foremost soccer stadiums.

Jose Ovalle, a 34-year-old from Reynosa, Mexico, has watched matches at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City and Estadio BBVA in Monterey, both websites of World Cup motion this summer time.

“They’re amazing stadiums — a lot of history, so much history,” Ovalle said Friday. “But [SoFi Stadium] is one of the top stadiums in the world.”

Nah, said New Zealand coach Darren Bazeley: “This is the best football stadium I’ve ever been in.”

Swiss heart back Manuel Akanji performs for Inter Milan and roots for the Atlanta Falcons. It was a big deal for him to play at their home area, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, in last yr’s FIFA Club World Cup.

“It’s really nice, but this is the best,” Akanji said after Switzerland defeated Bosnia-Herzegovina in group play at Sofi Stadium. “This is the best I’ve seen overall among all the stadiums I’ve ever been to. It’s amazing.”

Eight matches, 5 group stage video games, two round-of-32 knockout affairs, Friday’s quarterfinal and a partridge in a pear tree — it was a monthlong run that was every little thing SoFi Stadium’s crew may have wished for when it started getting ready to host eight years in the past. And more.

“I don’t think you can envision the passion of national team fans,” Demoff said. “We’ve seen so many great events here, NFL games, concerts, but the pride of a national event and seeing people come to Los Angeles and the U.S. for the first time, and seeing this building for the first time…

“There’s something magical about 30,000 Bosnians in blue singing, marching from the airport to here. You can’t properly envision that, no matter how many times you’ve been here.”

People raved about sight strains and sound. They admired the structure and the infinity screen and the manner the cover saved issues cool. In line to buy merchandise Friday, Orange County’s Nick Valencia regarded around and mused: “Wow, humans made this.”

Players had the run of the place on real grass, not the synthetic turf in place for NFL video games. (Don’t anticipate that to change, Demoff said, noting that maintenance could be doubly difficult at SoFi Stadium with two NFL groups utilizing the area.)

Soccer followers amplified their constructive reviews online, where the only grievance having to do with SoFi Stadium was that FIFA determined to give the World Cup last to the archaic-by-comparison MetLife Stadium — aka “New York/New Jersey Stadium” — instead.

The stadium popped in individual and on TV, its distinctive, futuristic form making it immediately recognizable in a manner that not every stadium is.

Vibes have been good among volunteers and guests from around the world and every nook of the United States — and among stadium staffers, who gained raises in a late-breaking contract settlement that resulted in will increase to more than $30 per hour.

The Rams’ home — and Chargers’ — was full virtually every match, with 4 sold-out crowds of 70,492 and an eight-game whole of 561,656.

People paid hundreds of {dollars} for tickets and bought their money’s value at the world’s most-expensive stadium, a fashionable marvel that’s only getting better with age.

Dodger Stadium is dripping in lore, from Kirk Gibson’s legendary walk-off home run in 1988 to more historical past, like Shohei Ohtani taking part in maybe the best sport ever last postseason.

Staples — er, Crypto.com Arena — is where Kobe Bryant dropped 81. Decathlete Rafer Johnson lit the Olympic flame in 1984 at the Los Angeles Coliseum. And we all can image Brandi Chastain ripping off her top in her iconic celebration after scoring the game-winning penalty kick in the 1999 Women’s World Cup at the Rose Bowl.

“We may not have the Brandi Chastain moment from ‘99,” Demoff said. “But we’ve had so many great moments off this tournament that I think will be replayed over and over and over again.”

There are more moments to come, with SoFi Stadium slated to host Super Bowl LXI in February and then, in 2028, to stage the Olympic Opening Ceremony and the Olympic swimming competitors.

“Where the U.S. scored the opening goal,” Demoff said, “is going to be the middle of the Olympic swimming pool. I think that contrast blows people’s minds. It certainly blows mine.”

And for the past month, Los Angeles’ stadium blew the world’s thoughts.