FIFA World Cup 2026 marks the first time in 32 years that the world’s biggest sporting event will be played on U.S. soil. Seattle will play host for the first time, with six of the tournament’s 26 matches to be played at Lumen Field. Loggers who love soccer say even if you’re new to the sport, you won’t want to miss the experience of a beautiful game played by the world’s top athletes. Here’s some advice on how to make the most of it, wherever you are watching.
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These days most games are shown on TV or at your favorite local establishment. Since the games will be in the US/Canada/Mexico, the kickoff times should be viewer-friendly. There are a couple of apps that let you track the games and the tournament in real time. Two I use are FotMob and SofaScore. — Randy Hanson
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Tickets are going to be at a premium so just getting in the stadium will be an accomplishment. There are no real timeouts so make sure you have everything you need at your seat to be fully involved for each half of play. I like taking light rail or the local Sounder train when it is available. — Randy Hanson
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If you are watching with young people who play soccer, ask them who their favorite player is, and talk about what formation they are playing. If your kid plays goalkeeper, for example, focus on what the goalkeeper is doing. Ask them if they can see a different style of play between France and Ghana, or Japan and Mexico. Talk about what’s different in how they play, and how their culture is reflected in the game. — Stephanie Cox
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If you are watching with someone who is fairly new to soccer, it can be hard to know the big moments because there are no breaks. But you can watch for set pieces — corner kicks, which are huge scoring opportunities, and penalty kicks, which happen if there’s a foul and one player steps up to the spot and takes a shot on goal. Those are really big moments to watch. — Stephanie Cox
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Get downtown early. Check out the new waterfront — it’s fabulous and connects you to everything. The gates will probably open two hours early. If you're a merch fiend, get your merch early. Inside the stadium, there'll be lots to do. FIFA always does a great job with their fan activations inside, and so there'll be plenty to do. — Maya Mendoza-Exstrom ’03
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Get to the game early — at least an hour. Take in the excitement as you watch the teams warm up and the crowds coming in. Spend time before the game getting to know the teams that you are watching so you know the players and feel invested in the teams. And buy the souvenirs! — Cortney Kjar Butterfield ’06
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The best part of the World Cup is what happens outside the stadium. Being in and around the stadium, whether on a match day or a non-match day, where you're just in a bar watching with people from all over the world, it's joyous. If we get nations from Africa or South America, the music and the culture will be on display. That’s the best part. It can just be so joyous. — Maya Mendoza-Exstrom ’03
