Seattle will host four group stage and two knockout-round matches at Lumen Field for the men’s 2026 FIFA World Cup. The games kick off June 15 and feature the U.S. men’s national team on June 19.
The Stars and Stripes received an automatic berth to the quadrennial event as a host country. Their group-stage opener will be June 12 at Sofi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif.
FIFA unveiled the full 104-match schedule Sunday during a global broadcast. It will be the tournament’s largest footprint — taking place across 16 cities in Mexico, the U.S. and Canada.
“I can already picture our bus driving to the stadium, weaving through the city and having the March to the Match, seeing the fans,” USMNT coach Gregg Berhalter said of Seattle during the broadcast. “It’s not only about the communities hosting the World Cup, it’s about all of the communities across America really getting behind us and creating this wave of support that really pushes the team to try and go and reach new heights.”
The 2026 World Cup will open June 11 in Mexico City’s Estadio Azteca. It’s the third time the city has hosted a World Cup opener. The championship match is slated for July 19 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.
FIFA anointed the U.S. with three previous World Cups. Those finals were held in California at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena (1994 men’s and 1999 women’s tournaments) and Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson (2003 women’s).
Canada will make its debut as a World Cup host on June 12 in Toronto. The tournament will also play five group stage and two knockout-round matches in Vancouver, totaling 13 World Cup matches in the Pacific Northwest.
The most matches, a total of nine, will be held at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
“To be hosting FIFA World Cup matches in and of itself is a momentous thing, but to see the United States Men’s National Team playing in the Emerald City on the world’s biggest stage is an honor,” Sounders majority owner Adrian Hanauer said in a news release.
The USMNT has played 10 matches in Seattle, compiling an 8-1-1 record since 1976. The most recent was a Copa America Centenario quarterfinal matchup against Ecuador in June 2016 at Lumen Field. The Stars and Stripes won 2-1 behind goals from Clint Dempsey and Gyasi Zardes. The only World Cup ties were USMNT qualifying matches in October 1976 at the Kingdome and 2013 at Lumen Field.
“As a born-and-bred Seattleite, today’s news is remarkable and has the potential to take our sport to new heights,” Hanauer continued. “For every soccer fan in our region, 2026 is going to be really special, and for the fans from across our nation and around the world coming to Seattle, we are eager to welcome you all.”
The full schedule for the matches at Lumen Field in 2026 is June 15, 19, 24, and 26 for the group stages. The Round of 32 match will be July 1 and the Round of 16 is July 6 at Lumen Field.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino said countries will be grouped into regional pods to make travel manageable for those who attend and kickoff times reasonable for those watching around the world. The celebration of soccer was expanded to feature 48 nations in 2026, an increase from the 32 that participated in Qatar in 2022.
SeattleFWC26, the city’s organizing committee, began work securing hotels and soliciting corporate sponsors when the city was announced as a host in June 2022. The Waterfront Park was also declared as the site for the city’s fan fest.
Now with the confirmed match dates and one known team, SeattleFWC26 CEO Peter Tomozawa said the framework for the committee’s goal of leaving a legacy can be cemented.
The USMNT match falling on Juneteenth — which celebrates the day in 1865 when enslaved Black people in Texas were told about their freedom — falls into Tomozawa’s plan to highlight “community, culture and children” through soccer.
“It’s very special,” Tomozawa said. “[We’re] celebrating our African-American heritage history not just with the country, but the world.”
With approximately 850 days until the World Cup opening ceremony, the main focus now is on security and resolving a possible shortage in spaces for visitors to stay during the run of matches in Seattle.
The Sounders are officially opening their training facility in Renton next week and Tomozawa said it could be used as a national team’s headquarters. The USMNT will play its three group-stage matches on the West Coast and has a base in California and one being built in Atlanta that it will likely use during the World Cup.
SeattleFWC26 is responsible for securing training grounds in the area, even if it’s not a nation’s designated home base.
Lumen Field is also undergoing changes to accommodate fans and media. One detail is already being addressed — the FIFA-approved grass for 2026 is currently growing at an undisclosed location in Washington, according to Tomozawa.
“We’re really pleased with the progress so far,” Tomozawa said. “We are over the moon excited. The is massive … I couldn’t have asked for a better slate of games for the stadium and the state. If you want to see the U.S. men’s national team, you gotta come to Seattle.”
Those interested in volunteering can sign up at SeattleFWC26.org. Fans can preregister for 2026 World Cup tickets at fifa.com/tickets and hospitality packages through fifa.com/hospitality.
The Sounders collected a 3-0 win in their second friendly at the Marbella Football Center in Spain. Swedish side IFK Norroping was competitive defensively, but couldn’t stop scoring from Seattle midfielder Albert Rusnak, winger Leo Chu and midfielder Dylan Teves.
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