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‘Soccer heartbeat of the Inland Northwest’: Spokane selected as candidate to host World Cup team in 2026

The 509 Syndicate, a fan club for the Spokane Velocity, marches through Riverfront Park from downtown Spokane to One Spokane Stadium Saturday, July 27, 2024. The 509 Syndicate, the fan group for the Velocity, do cheers, sing songs and pound drums during the traditional march 30-45 minutes before the games start. (Jesse Tinsley/THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW)
By Garrett Cabeza garrettc@spokesman.com(509) 459-5135

Spokane and Gonzaga University could be part of the most popular sporting event in the world.

The city was selected as a “Team Base Camp” candidate for the FIFA World Cup in the summer of 2026, according to a city of Spokane news release and FIFA.

FIFA on Thursday released 26 additional cities that could serve as the primary base for teams during the cup’s group stage, those first games of the World Cup, according to the world governing body for soccer. There are now 49 potential base camps, and more will be added leading up to the World Cup.

If Spokane is selected, a national team would train at Gonzaga soccer facilities and rest in a Spokane hotel.

“We are incredibly honored that Gonzaga University has been selected as a proposed team base camp for FIFA World Cup 2026,” Gonzaga President Thayne McCulloh said in the release. “We look forward to providing world-class facilities and a supportive environment for the teams, contributing to the success of this prestigious global event. Hosting teams from around the world will not only enhance our campus but also unite our community in the spirit of international sportsmanship.”

Sixteen stadiums across the U.S., Canada and Mexico will host the international soccer tournament. Lumen Field, home of the Seattle Seahawks, Sounders and Reign, and BC Place in Vancouver, British Columbia, are the closest World Cup-hosting stadiums to Spokane.

The Seattle suburb of Renton, Spokane and Boise are the three potential base camp cities in the Northwest.

State Senator-Elect Marcus Riccelli, D-Spokane, advocated for Spokane to host a team when he held a meeting with the Seattle FIFA World Cup 26 organizing committee and officials from Gonzaga, the city, Visit Spokane, the soccer community and others last November in Spokane.

“Gonzaga’s top-notch facilities and Spokane’s welcoming community make it an ideal location for a national team to prepare for the FIFA World Cup,” Peter Tomozawa, CEO of Seattle FIFA World Cup 26, said in the release. “Today’s announcement is a fantastic step to ensure we can showcase the best of Washington in 2026.”

Riccelli said FIFA chooses the base camp cities, and from those cities, teams choose in which city they want to train. Cities won’t know if they are selected until early 2026.

Teams would train for a few weeks to a month in the cities, the lawmaker added. They typically show up a couple of weeks before the group stage, which starts June 11 and runs through June 27, 2026.

Riccelli, a soccer player, coach and referee, said he wanted to show the committee that Spokane, which he called the “soccer heartbeat of the Inland Northwest,” is excited to host a team and would draw soccer players and fans from across the region.

“I really appreciate the Seattle World Cup committee giving us this opportunity and being so inclusive to try to make this a statewide success,” he said.

Thursday’s announcement comes on the heels of the Spokane Velocity’s underdog run to the USL League One title game, where they lost Sunday to Union Omaha, in its inaugural season. The Spokane Zephyr, the professional women’s soccer team, is in the middle of their first season.

Riccelli said he hopes the way Spokane fans rallied behind the two pro soccer teams showed Spokane’s great interest in the sport.

509 Syndicate President Jonathan Ehrenberg said he’s attended Spokane meetings involving Tomozawa and his group. 509 Syndicate is the supporters’ group of the Velocity and Zephyr.

Ehrenberg said it would be “rad” to see a talented international soccer team practice in Spokane for a month.

He said he’s lived in the area for several years, and it took the two pro teams for him to realize the passionate soccer community Spokane has.

“The coming together of the community has been pretty incredible,” Ehrenberg said.

Riccelli said he believes Spokane residents would root first for the U.S. national teams, but would also embrace the team that chooses to practice in Spokane.

He said he’s also thrilled about the economic development opportunities if Spokane is chosen.

Rose Noble, CEO of Visit Spokane, noted Spokane’s “vibrant small businesses, world class hotels, beautiful parks, and a dynamic downtown” in the release.

“We are a short flight from Seattle and other matchday destinations,” Noble said. “This basecamp opportunity only reinforces Spokane’s important and exciting role in Washington’s FIFA World Cup 2026 planning, hosting and celebration. We are excited to be a partner in the world’s largest sporting event.”

Spokane Mayor Lisa Brown also said she and city officials are excited for the opportunity to host a World Cup team.

“This announcement underscores Spokane’s growing reputation as a sports destination city and a key part of the statewide efforts to welcome the world’s game to communities throughout Washington,” Brown said in the release. “We look forward to next steps in the planning process, and the building anticipation as we get closer to the tournament.”