With the 2023 Women’s World Cup underway in Australia and New Zealand, Seattle is gearing up for its part in hosting the 2026 men’s tournament.

This week, the Seattle City Council approved legislation outlining the city’s responsibilities with the Seattle International Soccer Local Organizing Committee formed to bring the tournament to the city,

Seattle will be part of a unique three-country arrangement as Mexico, Canada, and the United States will share hosting responsibilities across 16 host cities. According to the council’s briefing on the plan from Mayor Bruce Harrell’s office and first hatched under the Durkan administration, Seattle will likely host around four to six games in the 2026 tournament.

Under the terms of the agreement with FIFA, the local committee will be responsible for what could be a $10 million price tag to host the events with many of the costs hitting the city. Organizers say not to worry as most of those costs would either be recouped or recovered, the Seattle Times reported in 2018 as it did some cheerleading for the plan.

While no venues on Capitol Hill are currently part of the planning, the nearby University of Washington soccer field will host activities while a smaller component of the event’s entertainment elements will take place in the Yesler Terrace neighborhood where a “Fan Fest In a Box” setup is planned, according to a presentation (PDF) to the council.

Seattle’s main World Cup components would be centered around Fan Fest (Pier 62/58), Lumen Field, T-Mobile Park, Seattle Center, Westlake, and Occidental Square, the city says, a “centralized” footprint that will be “aligned and integrated with pedestrian friendly/ground floor corridors” Integrated  with “micro-mobility and connections to transportation network,” according to the city council presentation.

The 2026 World Cup will bring around 400,000 to 750,000 visitors to Seattle, the city plan estimates, with the average stay around two to three days. The forecast expects 50 to 70% of the visitors will be international and first time visitors. Seattle’s hotel capacity is expected to reach 100%.

With the plan approved, the ball is now at the feet of the organizing committee and city officials to cement partnerships, secure corporate and public funding, and make sure Seattle is ready to take on the logistics of one of the world’s largest sporting events.

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