Skip to content

Seattle Smashes World Record

The city kicks into the record books with a massive soccer lesson

By Sarah Stackhouse June 16, 2025

A large crowd outdoors in a city catches or tosses blue and white soccer balls, with tall buildings and clear skies in the background.
Photos by Jon Cárdenas

Seattle officially holds the Guinness World Record for the world’s largest soccer lesson.

On Sunday, June 15, 1,038 people gathered at Pier 62 on the Seattle Waterfront for a 30-minute class led by Sounders and Reign FC alumni, including former Sounders player Brad Evans.

Participants practiced footwork and headed the ball under a bright afternoon sun, cheered on by Mariners legend and Sounders part-owner Ken Griffey Jr. Sounders owner Adrian Hanauer was also there with his son.

Guinness World Records officials were on hand to do the counting and when the final number came in, the announcement sparked a big celebration. You can see more photos of the event here.

The San Jose Earthquakes set the previous record in 2023 with 956 participants. Seattle topped that with room to spare.

“Smashed it,” Sounders posted on Instagram. “We’ve set a new Guinness World Record for the World’s Largest Soccer Lesson!”

Three people smile and hold a Guinness World Records certificate outdoors, with a city skyline, crowd, and soccer balls visible in the background.

A diverse group of people, including children and adults, practice soccer ball tricks together outdoors near industrial cranes.

The event was organized by Sounders FC, Reign FC, the RAVE Foundation, and the Seattle FIFA World Cup 26 organizing committee. It marked both the one-year countdown to Seattle’s first FIFA World Cup 26 match and the official kickoff of Club World Cup games at Lumen Field.

Later that night, the Sounders fell 2–1 to Botafogo in their first Club World Cup match. More than 150,000 fans are expected to attend games at Lumen Field throughout the tournament.

Here’s what’s coming up:
June 17 – River Plate vs. Urawa Red Diamonds
June 19 – Seattle Sounders vs. Atlético Madrid
June 21 – Inter Milan vs. Urawa Red Diamonds
June 23 – Seattle Sounders vs. Paris Saint-Germain
June 25 – Inter Milan vs. River Plate

Follow Us

Holding the Line

Holding the Line

Skijoring’s wild mix of skiing and horsepower is pulling new crowds across the West and giving Washington’s winter a rush of its own.

The thousand-pound horse barrels forward, muscles flickering under its winter coat as its rider leans forward, urging the animal to go faster. Snow explodes in every direction. A skier grips the 33-foot rope trailing behind, his skis skimming the surface as they surge over a 750-foot course at 40 miles an hour. “It’s the biggest…

Welcome to the Moll House

Welcome to the Moll House

Meet Amanda and Hana—twin University of Washington students and pole vaulting champs coming to a Wheaties box near you.

“I got this.” This simple mantra, uttered by Amanda Moll, is accompanied by a deep breath to ground herself. It sounds laughably modest, considering that Amanda’s pre-competition ritual has allowed her to do what most of us would find impossible: fly with the grace of a gazelle and the height to clear a full-grown giraffe….

Surfing the Strait

Surfing the Strait

Winter surfing on Washington’s northern edge means fleeting waves, icy water, and pure joy.

There are people so crazy and determined to surf, they’ll go to great lengths to do it. No matter the time of year or how cold it gets, surfers can be found anywhere there’s a wave. From surfing on rivers to tidal bore waves, wave pools, and even behind wakes created by tanker ships, surfers…

Mariners Back in the Playoffs

Mariners Back in the Playoffs

From Cal Raleigh’s record season to watch parties around town, here’s why it’s a big deal.

Dennis Berg has been going to Seattle Mariners games for as long as the team has been in Seattle. He’s attended every opening day since their inception in 1977, when the Mariners played in the Kingdome. His Major League Baseball obsession goes back to the short-lived Seattle Pilots, who played one season at the now-demolished…