The FIFA World Cup 2026 is more than just a soccer tournament—it’s a global celebration. With more than 3.5 billion fans, the sport is by far the most popular in the world, and the World Cup is the largest global sporting event on the planet. Seattle was chosen as one of the host cities in North America for this summer’s matches, and Seattleites couldn’t be prouder.

“Few cities get this kind of global stage, and it gives us the opportunity to show what makes the Puget Sound so distinct,” says Lisa Howard, executive director of the Alliance for Pioneer Square, a nonprofit organization serving the Pioneer Square neighborhood. With such a large influx of tourists, soccer fans, and locals flocking to the city during the event, Seattle is preparing to put its best foot forward.

The energy and excitement surrounding the World Cup imbue Seattle with a wave of anticipation and serve as a driving force that’s shaping commerce, tourism, and hospitality in the city. Marcus Lalario is a longtime local business owner and culture mover with several establishments in Pioneer Square, including Hometeam. Located on Occidental Mall, his spot combines retail, art, food, music, and community building, the latter being the key to creating a place for people to watch the World Cup. Every game will be screened on a huge TV, free to the public, and Lalario has helped set up an initiative in the neighborhood where fan can use QR codes to find local restaurants, earn prizes, and gain access to automated toilets. “It’s about the whole neighborhood and community,” he says.

The logistics of hosting such a huge event—which is estimated to draw more than 750,000 people—are tricky, and the city has been preparing for years. “Events at this scale can disrupt daily routines, and for small businesses especially, it can be demanding to staff up and keep pace with a surge that’s exciting but temporary,” Howard says. Lalario expects it to be hectic but not crazy, given how much they have put into getting ready. For other global sporting events, such as the Olympics, cities often see a short-lived economic boom, but later a bust when visitation subsides. Lalario believes that the World Cup will have a different effect on Seattle, partly because the city hasn’t needed to build an entirely new infrastructure and is already prepared for major sporting events. He also acknowledges that in this economy, small businesses “need every bit [of money] to succeed.”

One of the most important aspects for Seattle neighborhoods is capitalizing on the influx of new visitors (both regional and from afar) during the World Cup, using it as momentum for long-term improvements and enhancements. “The real opportunity is not just on match days, but in everything that follows, as people discover the neighborhoods, return, and feel connected to that energy long after the final goal,” Howard explains. It’s an opportunity for the city to reveal its true self, spark interest in new sets of eyes, and then have visitors return to peel away more layers. “I want people to say holy s*#! that’s a cool city because I did X, Y, and Z while I was there,” adds Lalario.

Sporting events bring people together like nothing else. As IRL (In Real Life) experiences make a come-back in our digital age, the World Cup serves as a pinnacle for gathering communities. There will be friendly banter at local watering holes over whose team is better, pockets of immigrants from different countries playing in the tournament will get together to celebrate their nationalities, and flags from around the world will be waved. Heated rivalries, loud parties, and late-night crowds will flood the streets of downtown Seattle. Television broadcasters, influencers, and media from around the globe will be talking about Seattle, telling the story of what makes this place so unique—and the people who call this region home will have an opportunity to welcome the world to our special corner of the country.

“The World Cup is a major moment, but it’s part of a much bigger story for Seattle,” Howard says. That story is ever-evolving and won’t end once the crowds have subsided. Instead, the energy and excitement of the event will live on throughout the businesses, creative initiatives, and communities of Western Washington. It is an opportunity to bring us all together, and regardless of who takes home the trophy at the end of the tournament, the city of Seattle will have already won.