Ground has been broken on the new football stadium in Los Angeles ©Twitter

Ground has been broken at the construction site of the brand new Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles, which is due to be a key venue should the city succeed with its bid for the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The venue will be the home of Major League Soccer (MLS) franchise Los Angeles Football Club, a newly-formed side which is expected to play its first match in 2018.

The 22,000-seater venue is also due to be completed in two years’ time.

During the groundbreaking ceremony, attended by Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, Los Angeles 2024 vice-chair and former NBA star Magic Johnson and actor and comedian Will Ferrell, Banc of California was confirmed as the title sponsor of the stadium.

It is located in Los Angeles 2024’s proposed downtown cluster of venues, which also features the LA Memorial Coliseum, Staples Center, Galen Center, Microsoft Theater and USC’s Dedeaux Field.

Over 40 per cent of Olympic competitions would take place in the downtown cluster if Los Angeles is selected to host the Games in 2024 ahead of Budapest, Paris and Rome.

“On behalf of LA 2024, we are thrilled to welcome the newest addition to LA’s already existing abundance of world-class sports venues,” Los Angeles 2024 chairman Casey Wasserman said.

“It’s thanks to projects like Banc of California Stadium that we would only need to build one new permanent venue should LA be awarded the honour of hosting the Games in 2024.

“LAFC’s new stadium will surely bolster downtown LA’s status as a destination for passionate sports fans, while offering LA 2024 a great venue for soccer and our plans to return the Games to Los Angeles.”

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti was in attendance at the groundbreaking ceremony ©Twitter
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti was in attendance at the groundbreaking ceremony ©Twitter

The Banc of California Stadium, located at the site of the old LA Sports Arena, which played host to boxing competitions at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, is one of two major new venues being built in the city.

A state-of-the-art stadium in the Inglewood area of the city, which could become the most expensive sporting venue in the world, is due to be completed in 2019.

It will become the home of National Football League (NFL) franchise the Los Angeles Rams.

“We start here,” LAFC lead managing owner Larry Berg said.

“After years of planning and hard work we are set to make history here in the heart of the city.

“Banc of California Stadium will allow for greater sports-viewing and live entertainment experiences to take place in Los Angeles than ever before.”

The International Olympic Committee is due to elect its chosen host city for the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games at its Session in Lima in September 2017.