Friday, December 13, 2024
As Seattle gears up to host the largest edition of the FIFA World Cup in 2026, the city’s destination marketing organization, Visit Seattle, for Seattle and King County, has unveiled its first economic impact forecast for the event.
According to Visit Seattle, King County is expected to earn at least $929 million from the six World Cup matches scheduled at Seattle’s Lumen Field between June and July 2026. The forecast also includes over $100 million in direct state and local tax revenues, with an estimated 20,762 full-time and part-time jobs projected to be supported.
For these initial calculations, Visit Seattle engaged Tourism Economics, part of Oxford Economics, known for its expertise in analyzing travel dynamics and economic assessment, to conduct the economic impact study. Visit Seattle anticipates releasing a revised forecast in December 2025 after the teams and their host cities are announced.
“The Visit Seattle team and our local partners worked tirelessly for five years before our city was selected as a World Cup host destination in 2022,” said Kelly Saling, SVP & Chief Sales Officer at Visit Seattle. “All of this was done with the understanding that an event of this caliber will be a massive economic driver for Seattle. Direct spending from these soccer fans will uplift our hospitality and service industries, while associated tax revenues will bolster our community, leaving a legacy that will endure long after the tournament ends.” 
SeattleFWC26, the local organizing committee for the FIFA World Cup 2026TM, is actively working to enhance the neighborhoods surrounding Lumen Field and leverage the 2026 event for local benefit.
“We’re committed to spreading the nearly billion-dollar economic boost from FIFA World Cup 26 to uplift local businesses and workers,” said April Putney, Chief Strategy Officer for SeattleFWC26.  “Our team is particularly focused on partnering with neighborhood business improvement areas to support small businesses in Pioneer Square, Chinatown-International District, and SODO. And Seattle is the first U.S. Host City to partner with local unions to guarantee the Seattle Fan Celebration benefits local workers. The scale of this economic benefit is unprecedented locally and we’re excited that more small businesses, restaurants, entrepreneurs, neighborhoods will be able to share in the prosperity.” 
Furthermore, the tournament will tap into hotel accommodations, event spaces, and soccer facilities throughout the Pacific Northwest for team basecamps and fan experiences, likely boosting the region’s economic benefits well beyond the initial projection of $929 million for King County.
Saling added, “we are taking this opportunity to showcase Seattle’s capability and creativity when hosting these marquee sporting events while also wowing visitors to encourage return visits. We’ve seen tremendous improvements to our city in the form of our waterfront redevelopment, increased hotel inventory, transit expansion, and the opening of SEA Airport’s International Arrivals Facility. We’ve accomplished a great deal already and there’s still more to come.”
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