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SEATTLE — Seattle will be one of 11 U.S. cities hosting matches during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, but local officials are taking steps to ensure the entire state of Washington will get to experience the historic event.
The local organizing committee announced Tuesday that it is partnering with nine locations around Washington that will host local fan zones, allowing those from every corner of the state to engage with the world’s most popular sporting event.
Specific locations will be announced at a later date, but the organizing committee said these nine cities will have their own fan zones.
The fan zones could feature live entertainment, interactive fan activations and food and beverage offerings. These locations will all be in addition to the Seattle Fan Celebration at Seattle Center during the World Cup.
“I’m excited, just even for our county and the cities around because soccer the last decade has just been really fastly growing, and a large part of the sports community locally,” Yakima Mayor Patricia Byers told KING 5 after the press conference. “We’re also the second most impoverished county in the state, and so to allow these families and these children the opportunity to come into major sporting events, that is just exciting and blesses me.”
Seattle’s Lumen Field will host six total matches during the 2026 World Cup, including one of Team USA’s group stage contests and two knockout round clashes. Officials said in December that they expect nearly $1 billion in revenue to be generated and over 21,000 jobs to be created in preparation for the World Cup.
The FIFA World Cup will run from June 11 to July 19, 2026.
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