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Gear up, Tacoma — next year’s FIFA World Cup 26 comes to our backyard, too.
The City of Destiny will host one of nine “fan zones” around the state next summer: interactive events and experiences complementing six World Cup matches at Seattle’s Lumen Field in June and July 2026. Attendees can enjoy live matches on giant screens, entertainment from local musicians and brush up their soccer skills through on-site clinics.
“Today is a historic day for Tacoma,” Mayor Victoria Woodards said in a news release Tuesday. “Being selected as a SeattleFWC26 fan zone is a testament to our city’s ability to provide safe and welcoming spaces for celebrating incredible moments, our vibrant community, and our ability to host world-class events.
“This is an incredible opportunity to showcase Tacoma on the global stage, bring our residents together, and celebrate soccer in a way only Tacoma can. We eagerly anticipate welcoming fans from near and far to experience the dynamic energy, diversity, and spirit that define our city.”
SeattleFWC26, the city’s FIFA World Cup 26 Organizing Committee, partnered with FOX 13 Seattle to design and produce next year’s fan zones before Tuesday morning’s official announcement at Lumen Field.
Wide-ranging by design, the committee broadened its fan-zone search so that “as many Washingtonians as possible can be part of this historic event,” the press release said. In addition to Seattle Center’s Seattle Fan Celebration, the nine introduced fan zones include:
Bellingham (Whatcom County)
Bremerton (Kitsap County)
Everett (Snohomish County)
Olympia/Lacey (Thurston County)
Tri-Cities (Benton and Franklin Counties)
Spokane (Spokane County)
Tacoma (Pierce County)
Vancouver (Clark County)
Yakima (Yakima County)
“We are delighted to welcome World Cup fans from all over the world to Pierce County in 2026,” Pierce County Executive Ryan Mello said at Tuesday’s announcement. “Our community is a beautiful, diverse mix of people and we’re excited to provide residents and visitors an exciting place to catch all the action.”
Fan zone locations will be disclosed at a later date, SeattleFWC26 said. Tacoma plans to use engagement from local residents in the planning process, city spokesperson Maria Lee told The News Tribune.
FIFA World Cup 26 kicks off June 11, 2026, hosted by three countries (Canada, Mexico, United States) in 16 cities and venues. Seattle’s Lumen Field, the home of the Seattle Sounders FC (MLS) and Seattle Seahawks (NFL), hosts six World Cup matches spanning from June 15 to July 6, 2026, including Team USA’s second group stage match on June 19. They are:
Group Stage, June 15
Team USA – Group Stage, June 19
Group Stage, June 24
Group Stage, June 26
Round of 32, July 1
Round of 16, July 6
SeattleFWC26 CEO Peter Tomozawa: “We love that the world’s game is coming to Seattle in 2026. But our goal is to bring Washington to the world.”
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