Seattle will host four group stage, two knockout round games at 2026 World Cup
SEATTLE – Seattle will host four group-stage and two knockout round matches at Lumen Field for the 2026 FIFA men’s World Cup. The games kick off June 15 and features the U.S. men’s national team on June 19.
The Stars and Stripes received an automatic berth to the quadrennial event as a host country. Their group stage opener will be June 12 at Sofi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif.
FIFA unveiled the full 104-match schedule Sunday during a global broadcast. It will be the tournament’s largest footprint — taking place across 16 cities in Mexico, the U.S. and Canada.
“I can already picture our bus driving to the stadium, weaving through the city and having the March to the Match, seeing the fans,” USMNT coach Gregg Berhalter said of Seattle during the broadcast. “It’s not only about the communities hosting the World Cup, it’s about all of the communities across America really getting behind us and creating this wave of support that really pushes the team to try and go and reach new heights.”
The 2026 World Cup will open June 11 in Mexico City’s Estadio Azteca. It’s the third time the city has hosted a World Cup opener. The championship match is slated for July 19 at Met Life Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.
FIFA anointed the U.S. with three previous World Cups. Those finals were held in the Rose Bowl (1994 men’s and 1999 women’s tournaments) and Dignity Health Sports Park (2003 women’s).
Canada will make its debut as a World Cup host on June 12 in Toronto. The tournament will also play four group stage and two knockout rounds in Vancouver, totaling 13 World Cup matches in the Pacific Northwest.
The most matches will be held at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
“To be hosting FIFA World Cup matches in and of itself is a momentous thing, but to see the United States Men’s National Team playing in the Emerald City on the world’s biggest stage is an honor,” Sounders majority owner Adrian Hanauer said in a news release. “As a born-and-bred Seattleite, today’s news is remarkable and has the potential to take our sport to new heights. For every soccer fan in our region, 2026 is going to be really special, and for the fans from across our nation and around the world coming to Seattle, we are eager to welcome you all.”
The full schedule for the matches at Lumen in 2026 are June 15, 19, 24, and 26 for the group stages. The Round of 32 match will be July 1 and the Round of 16 is July 6 at Lumen.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino said matches were grouped into regional pods to make travel manageable for those who attend and kickoff times reasonable for those watching around the world. The celebration of soccer was expanded to feature 48 nations in 2026, an increase from the 32 that participated in Qatar in 2022.