Home of the Seattle Seahawks will host FIFA World Cup matches in 2026

The house of the Seattle Seahawks and Seattle Sounders may also be one of many host cities for the following FIFA World Cup.

Soccer’s grandest worldwide match might be hosted collectively by america, Canada, and Mexico 4 years from now, and Thursday marked the disclosing of the 16 host cities. Of the chosen cities, 11 had been US-based, 3 from Mexico, and a couple of from Canada. Seattle and Lumen Area submitted a bid, and that bid was a winner!

Here’s what Seahawks president Chuck Arnold had to say:

“We’re proud and honored to have Lumen Area chosen as a number venue for the FIFA World Cup 2026,” stated Chuck Arnold, president of the Seahawks and First & Objective, Inc. “Lumen Area was really constructed for this, and we are able to’t wait to point out followers from across the globe the electrical, energizing ambiance our stadium is understood for. We’re grateful to FIFA for recognizing Lumen Area as one in every of North America’s most premier sports activities and leisure venues and entrusting us to host such a prestigious worldwide occasion.”

For those who’re not a soccer follower, the Sounders are one of the crucial profitable golf equipment in North America and simply received the CONCACAF Champions League, one thing no different MLS crew has completed for the reason that present format was applied in 2008. Past the 2 MLS Cup titles and 4 U.S. Open Cup trophies, the fanbase for the Sounders is constantly one of many league’s greatest and the stadium creates an environment that’s as vibrant as Seahawks video games. From 2013-2018, average attendance for league matches was top-30 among all club teams in the world.

We’ll discover out down the road what number of matches and whether or not or not they’ll get any knockout stage video games. The 2026 version will develop to 48 groups divided into 16 teams, with knockout rounds increasing to a Spherical of 32 as an alternative of the present Spherical of 16.

As for the opposite host cities, the remainder of the NFC West besides the Arizona Cardinals may also function World Cup hosts. Even FIFA clearly noticed the historical past of Seahawks accidents at that stadium and determined it wasn’t well worth the threat to have World Cup matches there.