Seattle has been formally branded a FIFA men’s World Cup city. Unveiling the new 2026 logo atop the Space Needle were Governor Jay Inslee, Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell, SEATTLEFWC26 CEO Peter Tomozawa and other athletes and officials
The global tournament will take place the summer of 2026 and is the biggest version in FIFA history. Seattle is one of 16 cities across Canada, Mexico and the U.S. that will host a combined 104 matches featuring 48 nations, which is an increase from the 32 that participated in Qatar last winter.
Beth Knox, president of the Seattle Sports Commission, said the city is going to lean on the planning for the MLB All-Star Game in Seattle this July as infrastructure for the World Cup, although the soccer tournament is a monthlong affair. FIFA’s west coast host cities — San Francisco Bay Area, L.A., Vancouver, and Guadalajara — regularly meet to share ideas, too.
SeattleFWC26’s next phase is upgrading Lumen Field to be the site for the World Cups matches, including the instillation of natural grass. The committee is also scouting space for training-field sites to be used by national teams. The Sounders said they remain on track to open their new facility at Longacres in Renton by January 2024, which Tomozawa said will likely be used by a World Cup national team. Seattle’s 20-acre waterfront park, which will link Pike Place Market with the shoreline, is scheduled to open in 2025. [24×7]
