It’s never been a better time to be a soccer fan in the Pacific Northwest, with major teams descending on Seattle’s Lumen Field for international play this summer and next.
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association — much better known around the globe as simply FIFA — has selected Seattle as one of its host cities for next year’s world championship games.
But before that, Seattle will first host six matches in the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 over 10 days this June.
Here’s what to expect this summer as we pilot new projects and prepare to welcome soccer fans from around the world aboard Sound Transit.
Coming this summer: FIFA Club World Cup 2025
The FIFA Club World Cup 2025 tournament runs from mid-June to mid-July, featuring 32 club-level teams from around the world — including our very own Seattle Sounders FC.
This year marks the first time the United States has hosted the tournament, and Seattle will host six games in the initial group stage, bringing an estimated 100,000 to 150,000 visitors to the region.
The games in Seattle will take place over a 10-day stretch, between June 15-25, and the Sounders are slated to play in three of those games, against teams from Brazil, Spain and France.
The games at Lumen Field are scheduled for both weekdays and weekends, and on two of those dates, June 15 and 17, the Mariners will also have home games at T-Mobile Park next door.
With crowds for the most popular games expected to be as large as those at a typical Seahawks game, we know high-capacity, reliable transit service will be pivotal during this time, for both first-time visitors to the region, and our regular riders alike.
What to expect in June
For this summer’s games, we’ve modeled our plans around what we typically do for Seahawks playoff games. That includes:
Specific game day plans for Link light rail, Sounder trains and ST Express buses.
Increased security staffing, plus Sound Transit staff ambassadors on hand at our busiest stations to provide extra customer support.
Additional temporary signage to make wayfinding easier.
Support teams on standby for facilities maintenance, elevators and escalators.
Proactive information on our website, social media channels, and via email and text rider alerts. We’re also working with our regional partners to help get the word out.
And in addition to what we typically do for large special events that come to Seattle, we’re also piloting three new projects and improvements this summer, in preparation for larger crowds expected in 2026:
Game day events at nearby stations: When we open new Link light rail extensions, we frequently partner with local community groups to celebrate in and around new stations, bringing added energy and another level of customer support on opening day.
This summer we’ll be replicating that model at the existing International District/Chinatown Station, one of three Link stations within easy distance to Lumen Field, and in Occidental Square, a stone’s throw from Pioneer Square Station.
Sound Transit is partnering with the Chinatown-International District Business Improvement Area and the Alliance for Pioneer Square to host booths before all six games (and also after the four daytime games) in both locations, providing information, help with wayfinding, and surprises.
There’ll also be a DJ at /International District/Chinatown Station, and a digital passport that people can use to check in at local businesses for the chance to win prizes, including gear from the ST Shop.
New wayfinding and temporary signage: When sidewalks, streets and train platforms get crowded, we want to make sure everyone can keep moving as safely and easily as possible. That means having clear instructions to get where you need to go.
We’re piloting a few new wayfinding and signage options in preparation for deploying on a bigger scale in 2026. These include directional signs to the stadium that show walking distance in both miles and kilometers, and additional wayfinding to help visitors navigate toward other popular local landmarks and destinations.
This summer we’ll focus on Link and Sounder stations around Lumen Field, including International District/Chinatown and King Street stations, as well as high-traffic stations like Westlake and SeaTac/Airport.
Additional Sounder weekday service: Outside of Sounder’s regular Monday-Friday commute schedule, we often work with BNSF Railway to offer special Sounder service on weekends for sports games and other large-scale events.
This summer we’ll be piloting special game trains on weekdays as well. This will mean a few schedule tweaks on both the N Line, between Everett and Seattle, and the S Line, between Lakewood and Seattle, to make sure we’ll be able to accommodate the capacity we expect for those games.
Be sure to sign up for rider alerts and check our FIFA Club World Cup 2025 page for specific game day schedules.
You can also expect updates through these channels in the event of maintenance work or disruptions that might affect your trip on any of Sound Transit’s trains or buses, or your experience at a stop or station. Read on below for more information on the projects we’ll be tackling this summer to prepare for FIFA World Cup 26.
Looking ahead to 2026
The lessons we learn from this summer’s pilots will be invaluable as we continue planning for next year’s FIFA World Cup 26 matches in Seattle. This world championship will feature 48 national teams — the largest pool ever — playing in games hosted across the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Seattle will once again host six games, this time over 22 days, between June 15 and July 6, 2026. These matches, when combined with FIFA-sponsored fan events planned throughout Washington, are expected to draw around 750,000 visitors to our region.
For the past year, Sound Transit and our regional transit partners have been collaborating closely with the Seattle Local Organizing Committee in charge of coordinating regional agencies and other groups who will provide visitor support and public services during the event. The LOC coordinates those plans with FIFA, which oversees logistics for teams, officials, media and VIPs.
Sound Transit staff have also been attending conferences to gather best practices and lessons learned from other cities that have hosted recent major events, like the 2024 Paris Olympic Games and FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.
Armed with these insights, we won’t just be thinking about individual transit modes or stations; we’ll be working with our partners to make sure the entire regional network is operating at its highest level and offering locals and visitors alike multiple options for getting around (and with back-up service always at the ready).
Our primary goal will be providing high-quality, seamless, and convenient service, and we’ll be tracking data in several different categories, this summer and next, to measure those efforts. That includes things like cleanliness, safety, reliability, passenger information, and more.
Sound Transit staff are also laser-focused on achieving several complex, critical milestones and projects ahead of next summer, such as:
Opening new Link extensions (including the 2 Line’s cross-lake connection to the Eastside and the 1 Line extension to Federal Way) and completing Sounder capital projects (like bringing new cars into service).
Completing key maintenance projects and repairs on our systems, vehicles, and stations ahead of next summer, to make sure service is reliable and resilient when ridership is highest.
Developing comprehensive passenger support and communications plans so everyone in the region is well-informed and prepared.
Providing a range of fare options that make paying for transit easy, especially for visitors — from buying tickets or passes ahead of time to tapping your phone when you board.
As we head into this summer and start counting down to next, you can expect frequent updates on FIFA tournament planning and progress.
Sign up for rider alerts and follow us on Instagram, Facebook or X to stay up to date.