By Charles Hamaker
Seattle WA - In a move that the Pacific Northwest has been hoping for, FIFA has named the Emerald City as one of 16 host cities for the next World Cup, coming in 2026. With the soccer culture that the city of Seattle has, the decision to be selected was only a matter of time. Seattle is now joined by fifteen other cities, most of them in the United States with a few others (Vancouver, Mexico City) in Canada and Mexico. The biggest knock against Seattle hosting any of this would be that Lumen Field is currently a turf field. With that being said, the stadium officials have made it clear that if (and or when) Seattle is selected as a World Cup host city, a change will be made to accommodate.
Who else joins Seattle in hosting World Cup matches?
In closest proximity, Vancouver will be hosting about six World Cup matches. Vancouver was one of the three Canadian cities in the running. But, when Edmonton was eliminated, it seemed obvious that Vancouver could take that title. Here are other cities in the
Western region
San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Guadalajara join Seattle in the West.
Central region
The cities in the Central region are Kansas City, Dallas, Atlanta, Houston, Monterrey, and Mexico City make up the central region.
Eastern region
Toronto, Boston, Philadelphia, Miami, New York/New Jersey make up the Eastern region, the final names announced by FIFA.
What will the impact of the games be on the area?
One of the fastest growing cities in the last decade, Seattle will surely be able to handle the brunt of the visitors when the World Cup rolls around. There are an estimated 50,000 available hotel rooms in the region, while about 15,000 of them are within walking distance to the host stadium of Lumen Field. There is a projected $14 billion dollar revenue expectancy for these matches, with a $5 billion dollar expected environmental impact. Surely, there will be some infrastructure changes for when the event actually arrives in the 206.
When the Seattle Mariners, who play right across the street from Lumen, host the 2023 MLB All-Star game, the franchise has plans for several upgrades within their stadium. Some of these upgrades include taking the current press box and turning it into an exclusive viewing club. What sorts of upgrades could we see at Lumen? While we are not for sure quite yet, the turf field will notably be changed. Outside of the stadium, Seattle's light rail system (commuter train) will have stops that run to the cities of Lynnwood (16 miles North of Seattle), Redmond (11 miles East of Seattle), and Federal Way (20 miles South of Seattle) by that time frame. There are big plans for upgrades to several different aspects of Sound Transit, including upgrades to the bus system. There will be lots of revenue coming in to Seattle, but lots of changes to be made in order to accommodate those visitors as well.
Where could teams possibly train?
Thanks to the seven professional sports teams that call the city of Seattle home, there should be plenty of training space. By the time that this World Cup comes, the Sounders new training facility at Longacres will be ready for usage. In addition to the Sounders primary facility, several other locations such as the Seattle Seahawks Virginia Mason Athletic Center, Stafire sports Complex, and the University of Washington could all be great training areas. Considering that the playing venue is already set for Lumen Field, the national teams that are playing will need somewhere to prepare for their matches, and where better to do so than in quality training facilities? Longacres, Virginia Mason Athletic Center, the University of Washington, and Starfire sports complex can bring all of that.
The turf dilemma
A big issue for the advocacy of Lumen Fields hosting ability was always the turf field. Lumen Field has had turf field as its playing surface since it's opening back in 2002. There is some interesting history in regards to the turf field. Back in the year 1997, the soccer fanbase in the city of Seattle voted that the stadium into it's existence by a very small margin. Those fans had been promised a natural grass surface which would eventually bring professional teams and international dates. About midway through this new stadium being built, Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Holmgren decided that he wanted turf installed. There was months of back and forth, but eventually there were amendments made to the Lease. Turf would be installed, and now we get to look back on that decision.
With that being said, it has been stated several times that if (and now when) Seattle hosts these World Cup games, that grass will be installed. Now, we just wait to hear when that becomes official. Playing the game on soccer is normally considered to be a given. It should be a welcome change to Lumen Field and will be a huge stepping stone toward the event actually taking place here.
Reflection
I cannot state how truly gigantic this is for the city of Seattle and surrounding areas. There are several ways to look at the announcement of the cities selection, financially, facility wise, as well as culturally. Financially, the city should see a huge amount of revenue come through it's doors, as those who wish to attend matches will need to pay for lodging, food, transportation, and more. Facilities wise, expect to see vast upgrades to Lumen field itself as well as the surrounding area and transportation around the area. Parking areas, improved public transportation and more should see improvements. Culturally, this is a huge chance to continue the positive momentum that the OL Reign and Sounders have in this city. The game of soccer has always been big in the Emerald City, going back to when the great Pele played some matches here. Get yourself ready all nice and spiffy Seattle. The beautiful game is coming.
Big thank you to Paul Kahl and Melissa Levin for the photos used in this article!
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