Seattle's first World Cup match draws international crowd

After years of waiting, the 2026 FIFA World Cup finally arrived in Seattle on Monday, and with it, local organizers got their first glimpse of a long-promised economic windfall.

The quadrennial soccer tournament, which the most-watched sporting event in the world, is expected to draw 750,000 fans to Seattle, a mix of visitors and residents. Monday's pool play match between Belgium and Egypt kicked off the first of six World Cup matches at Seattle Stadium, also known as Lumen Field.

Visit Seattle expects the tournament to generate $845.6 million for King County, down from a 2024 projection of $929 million, owing to multiple factors, including fewer anticipated international visitors. But with thousands flocking to the World Cup opener in Seattle, the occasion was a showcase opportunity for the city.

Eman Youssef, Shorouq Ismail and Ahmed Ebeido — all decked in Egypt's black, red and white — flew in from Los Angeles on Saturday and were among the 66,775 fans at the near-sold-out stadium.

https://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/news/2026/06/15/world-cup-fans-lumen-soccer-fifa-belgium-egypt.html