From Murals to Mini-Pitches: Building a Lasting Legacy for the FIFA World Cup 26™ in Washington

With under 9 months until kickoff of the FIFA World Cup 26™ tournament games in Seattle and throughout North America, the SeattleFWC26 Local Organizing Committee is hard at work planning a safe, memorable, and inclusive event for our city, region, and state.

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Getting Ready in Seattle

The  LOC is continuing to work closely with community and governmental partners on operational planning for safety and security, transportation, and fan activations. We’re also working with our partners on the facility improvements needed for the games– from training centers and base camps to Seattle Stadium readiness.

The next major planning announcement is the World Cup Final Draw on December 5, where qualified national teams will find out what group they’re in – and we’ll then know which teams are playing here for the Group Stage.

With planning efforts ramping up, and more and more focus on the games on the horizon, we’re continuing to work closely with FIFA, White House World Cup Task Force, state and local partners to ensure we’re ready to welcome fans to a safe, welcoming, and inclusive series of matches and events in Seattle, and throughout Washington State, next summer.

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Building a Strong Legacy

Seattle is unique for its focus on building a strong legacy for after the final whistle– rooted in pillars of investment and organizing spanning sustainability and human rights to kids, culture, and community.

As part of our ongoing activities, this summer we unveiled two new murals in Seattle– lasting public art in the downtown core. As the school year began, we kicked off our soccer balls and backpacks giveaways in Bemerton, Yakima, Vancouver, and Puyallup. Our partners at RAVE Foundation have opened 33 mini-pitch playfields statewide, with 9 additional planned to open later this year, including two at Lummi Nation School. We have also launched Human Trafficking Awareness training for 2,500 frontline workers.

We are also working with small businesses, especially those in stadium-adjacent neighborhoods, to ensure benefit from the games. Our partners at the Metropolitan Seattle Chamber of Commerce have published online resources, and our three Stadium Neighborhood Liaisons are also working in the CID, SODO, and Pioneer Square.

As a whole, these activities will ensure that the benefits of the FIFA World Cup not only contribute to the financial health of the region, but directly touch the lives of people, places, and communities statewide.

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A Focus On The Fans

No matter your budget, there will be ways to experience the World Cup excitement. With official fan activations in Seattle and nine fan zones, and countless unofficial parties anticipated in bars, community centers, and neighborhoods, world-class watch experiences will be accessible to everyone.

We have partnered with the nine largest cities outside of King County to host official fan zones, ensuring all Washingtonians can have a World Cup experience. Leaders in the cities of Bellingham, Bremerton, Everett, Olympia/Lacey, Spokane, Tacoma, Tri-Cities, Vancouver, and Yakima are working with us to plan safe, accessible, and engaging events that will spread the excitement of the games to all parts of Washington.

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What We Know About Tickets and Teams

Tickets are sold exclusively through FIFA and will be released through a phased lottery. The next lottery will begin on October 27. To be eligible, fans should sign up at fifa.com/tickets.
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While we know that the US will play in Seattle on June 19, we will learn on December 5 at the Final Draw which teams will join them in Seattle for our four group stage matches. While qualifying games are still in progress, we know 17 teams so far that have qualified: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Ecuador, Iran, Japan, Jordan, Mexico, New Zealand, Paraguay, South Korea, USA, Uzbekistan, and Uruguay. Learn More about FIFA World Cup 26™ Ticketing & Hospitality

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