By Jason Cruz
NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY
Seattle is weeks away from hosting the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Lumen Field, which will be called Seattle Stadium during the matches this summer, is gearing up and fans are getting ready. While soccer fans are excited for the play on the pitch, there are concerns about pricing and security.
“I think young players are incredibly excited about the World Cup,” said Nathan Yi, the owner of Tiger Youth Soccer, a youth soccer program out of Bellevue. Yi holds year-round soccer camps for young kids.
“Many of the kids I coach already follow players like Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, and other star players.” In addition, former University of Washington (UW) soccer player and current Sounders midfielder Cristian Roldan will be a part of the U.S. team.
“The idea that they will be able to watch some of the world’s best players compete right here in Seattle makes the event feel real and accessible to them,” Yi added.
“I’m super excited for the World Cup,” said Jacob Rivera, a soccer player and eighth grader at the Bush School. “It’s a unique and special event.” Jacob and his brother, Justin, created a nonprofit, Level the Field Sports, that helps kids with obtaining gear to play sports including soccer. “I’m really excited, I’ve been looking forward to seeing another World Cup,” Justin agreed. Both of the boys will be attending a game in person. While the boys are big backers of the Sounders and MLS, they are excited about the international teams playing in the United States.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The international tournament organizers, FIFA, made the decision to have multiple host countries. In the United States, 11 cities across the United States will host games, including Seattle Stadium.
“People are starting to get more excited about the vibe and everything sort of happening and there’s a little more energy that’s starting to build around it and the concerns or questions are taking a backseat,” said Ron Krabil, a professor at the School of Interdisciplinary Arts & Sciences at the UW Bothell Campus. Krabil is part of the Global Sport Lab at the Jackson School of International Studies and part of the Global Sport Lab at the Jackson School of International Studies. The purpose of the program is to provide students and the public opportunities to learn about global sport and global connections through the expertise of faculty, guest speakers, and community engagements. It was developed with the Men’s FIFA World Cup in mind.
“Whether or not it’s good or bad is in the eye of the beholder.”
While fans are excited about the action on the pitch, there are issues surrounding the event. Krabil and other scholars have produced a website, World Cup: The Syllabus, which provides some context behind the history and politics of the World Cup.
“Ticket prices are one of the major things that people are upset about,” said Krabil. FIFA is using a dynamic pricing structure which has prices fluctuate based on the demand for the matches. The United States matches are two to three times more expensive than others. As of this week, Ticketmaster lists the lowest resale price for the United States match against Australia on June 19 at Seattle Stadium at $1,600 for 300 level seats. The highest ticket for the match is over $6,100. The lowest price for a match at Seattle Stadium is the Iran-Egypt match, which lists a ticket at $285.
The United States political climate is adding to security concerns for the World Cup. Iran is scheduled for a match at Seattle Stadium on June 26 despite the continued conflict it is engaged in with the United States. Notably, the national team for Iran is moving its World Cup training base from Tucson, Arizona to Tijuana, Mexico. Iran is scheduled to play a match against New Zealand at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California on June 15. It will then play a match against Egypt in Seattle on June 26th.
In addition to the potential tension of Iran participating in matches in the United States, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement will have a presence at FIFA World Cup events. This has prompted concern as to whether events would be used as part of immigration enforcement and not just as security.
These issues have caused many international fans to have second thoughts about traveling to the United States for the World Cup. Instead, Canada and Mexico, the co-hosts of this World Cup, have become alternatives to attending in the United States. In turn, the hospitality industry in multiple cities, including Seattle, have seen a decline in the tourism projections.
Many fans and critics point to FIFA as an accomplice to these issues. Krabil states that the general feelings toward FIFA have been “overwhelmingly negative.” He cites the dramatic increase in ticket prices as a criticism for this event. “They are trying to get every ounce they can out of things.”
The tickets for the “nicer” seats are plummeting because the tickets were so expensive. In addition, the hospitality industry is taking a hit due to the lowered expectations of travelers.
FIFA secured hotel room blocks anticipating fans to book rooms. However, that has not happened and FIFA has released the rooms back to hotels leaving potential vacancies in June.
“The local organizing committee has tried really hard to build a powerful legacy and make good connections,” explained Krabil. He explained that the local committee could not have planned for the political climate created by the current administration or the expensive ticket prices dictated by FIFA.
“I think the football will be fine,” he added. “(T)he question will be what the long-term impact of the Cup will be in terms of how people feel about global soccer and the tournament.” Krabil pointed to the expanded field this year with 16 additional teams added to make 48 teams instead of 32. While Krabil notes that expansion is great, there may be viewer “fatigue” from the number of matches.
Despite the economic and political factors, there is still excitement for the matches.
“The World Cup is more than just a tournament for young athletes,” said Yi. “It is a source of inspiration that shows kids what is possible through hard work, discipline, and teamwork.”
“For many players, seeing the sport celebrated on the world stage motivates them to train hard and dream bigger.”
Jason can be reached at newstips@nwasianweekly.com.
Leave a Reply