Why FIFA President is confident in Seattle’s ability to host back-to-back world events

SEATTLE — The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup and the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Thousands of soccer fans from around the world come to the area, and Seattle hosts world-class events two years in a row.

It’s a lot, it’s the eyes of the world on our city. And the sport’s governing body is confident Seattle is ready.

RELATED: Lumen Field to host 6 matches during 2025 Club World Cup, FIFA President confirms

“I’m extremely, extremely confident,” said FIFA world president Gianni Infantino, visiting Seattle ahead of next year’s major events.

“The commitment that I have witnessed here from the authorities, from the population, is really… I don’t want to say unique because there are 16 host cities for the World Cup and 11 for the World Cup. Club World—but it’s really very special, and I will definitely use, cite and mention Seattle as an example also for other host cities as to what can be done not only during the events but also before and after the events,” Infantino. added.

This is high praise.

As Infantino mentioned, Seattle is one of 16 cities to host the FIFA World Cup, and 11 for the Club World Cup. During the Club World Cup, Seattle is one of only two cities on the West Coast to host, along with Los Angeles. Seattle will host six Club World Cup matches, including the Sounders’ three group matches as well as six World Cup matches, including one match for Team USA.

It was these meetings with “authorities,” including, according to Infantino, the mayor and Governor Jay Inslee, that inspired confidence. It was also a tour of the facilities, including the Sounder’s new Providence Swedish Performance Center.

He was seduced, in particular by the beauty of Lumen Field. The views and openness of the stadium and how it connects to the city of Seattle. He can’t wait to see it in action at a world-class event like the one Seattle will host in the next two years.

“Lumen Field, a big arena, very special, that has a special soul and a special heart inside. You can feel it when you enter some stadiums. They don’t have to be the biggest, but this one was very special, and it was empty, so I can’t imagine what it will be like when it’s full,” Infantino said.

Around the community, the city is preparing with Peter Tomozawa, CEO of the 2026 World Cup in Seattle, who ensures that there will be a “20-year impact” after the events, in the same way as the The 1962 World’s Fair had a major impact and changed Seattle forever.

“This will be the most important event to ever happen in our state,” Tomozawa said. “I expect the city of Seattle to be the star of the Seattle World Cup and the Club World Cup,” he added.

“The most important thing is that the hundreds of thousands of fans who will come feel welcome and are whole,” Infantino said. “They have to feel welcome throughout the city, and the great thing about Lumen Field is that it’s very close to the center of the city, so the fan march has to be organized right , and the fan festival must be organized also in the best possible way and what we must be aware of compared to any other sporting event is that when we talk about football and the World Cup, there will literally be millions of people who will come, not just those who buy tickets, but also thousands of fans without tickets who just want to be close to their team. They want to be part of something special, and that’s what we’re about. let’s work to present this region and region to the world and make everyone feel welcome.

The stage is therefore set and the work is well advanced, FIFA being more than confident in Seattle. And beyond being optimistic about his future, he is helping to grow the game.

“This will also be, for me, part of the legacy that we want to leave. We are not just organizing tournaments and events, but we are here to grow the game and make it number one, not just in the world but also in this country,” Infantino said.

A massive, monumental step in this direction occurs when Seattle hosts these major events.