'a Great Vibe.' Pacific Northwest Joins Los Angeles In An Embrace Of World Cup Fever

SEATTLE — Jaysen Dickinson flew to Seattle from Vermont to transverse an point disconnected his lengthy bucket list.

“To spot nan World Cup and nan U.S. play successful nan World Cup,” he said.

Kim Fletcher and her 17-year-old boy Kelan caught a 5 a.m. formation from Sacramento past week for nan aforesaid reason.

“It’s a must-do correct now,” she said.

They weren’t alone. Tens of thousands of group poured into Seattle connected Friday greeting for nan U.S. team’s group-stage crippled pinch Australia, turning nan Emerald City into a oversea of red, achromatic and blue. Some had tickets, astir did not.

United States’ Folarin Balogun celebrates nan team’s first extremity pinch fans during nan crippled against Australia successful Seattle connected June 19, 2026.

(Lindsey Wasson / Associated Press)

But who needed a ticket? More than 66,000 group filled Lumen Field successful Seattle’s SoDo district, but thousands much simply stood successful nan streets surrounding nan stadium to soak up nan energy.

“It’s electric,” said Fletcher, whose boy wore an American emblem arsenic a cape beneath a tri-cornered assemblage hat. Another man was dressed successful overalls successful star-spangled colors while 1 mates wore ample and seemingly uncomfortable bald eagle heads, topped by red, achromatic and bluish cloth stovepipe hats.

“I’ve ne'er seen thing for illustration it,” said 1 fan, whose been attending sporting events successful nan metropolis for much than 7 decades.

If this World Cup has been marred by astronomical summons prices and an opaque strategy for trading them, resulting successful ample swaths of vacant seats visible connected telecasts from Guadalajara, Santa Clara and Miami Gardens, that hasn’t put a damper connected nan tourney successful nan Pacific Northwest. Los Angeles is acold from nan only metropolis pinch World Cup fever.

The midday ceremony connected Friday engulfed — and overwhelmed — 1 of nan country’s largest cities connected what was expected to beryllium a workday.

A viewing statement successful historical Pioneer Square was packed truthful tightly it was difficult to move. Along nan city’s waterfront, hundreds of group paid $52 to guidelines connected a barge and watch nan crippled connected a scoreboard-sized TV. Thousands much had scaled nan steep cascading steps crossed nan street, wherever they strained to watch for free.

“There were conscionable group who wanted to beryllium successful nan atmosphere. And that’s Seattle,” said Kasey Keller, a four-time World Cup goalkeeper for nan U.S. from adjacent Olympia, Wash.

“This,” agreed MLS commissioner Don Garber “is a shot city.”

The first crippled successful Seattle, besides played connected a weekday afternoon, drew a sellout crowd for Egypt-Belgium while successful Vancouver, 35 miles northbound of nan U.S. border, a 10-block agelong that knifes done nan bosom of nan cardinal business territory has been turned complete to a thoroughfare statement for nan long of nan 39-day World Cup, snarling postulation and rerouting buses.

Fans of Belgium hold for nan opening of nan World Cup Group G shot crippled betwixt Belgium and Egypt successful Seattle connected June 15, 2026.

(Lindsey Wasson / Associated Press)

Not that galore folks were complaining.

Fans marched to past Thursday’s day crippled pinch Qatar wearing Canadian flags draped complete their shoulders and headdresses that germinated mini maple leafs. Thousands much watched connected TV from bars and restaurants on Granville Street, wherever 15-foot-tall shot players and elephantine shot balls guidelines beneath miles of reddish and achromatic streamers.

Even a portion nine successful nan halfway of nan instrumentality area sewage successful connected nan action, draping nan flags of Canada and 9 different World Cup teams supra its dense woody doors.

“It’s beautiful to see. The whole state showed up,” goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau said. “It’s beautiful. We were each 1 federation tonight.”

Crepeau and his teammates said they fed disconnected that ambiance successful their triumph complete Qatar, giving Canada its first-ever World Cup win. Mauricio Pochettino, nan Argentine-born U.S. coach, said nan aforesaid point astir nan Americans’ reception successful Seattle.

“Even if I americium not American I was affectional because nan ambiance was amazing, nan fans were amazing,” he said. “The measurement they supported america and nan measurement they celebrated victory, it was an astonishing and cleanable relationship from nan stands and nan team.

“It makes america consciousness very proud because to link pinch nan group is what we wanted — present successful Seattle, and nan remainder of nan country.”

U.S. and Australia fans bump fists connected their measurement to nan stadium earlier their crippled successful Seattle connected June 19, 2026.

(Lindsey Wasson / Associated Press)

U.S. and Canadian shot fans person travel a agelong measurement since 1994, nan past clip North America played big to nan World Cup. Keller remembers watching a group-stage crippled pinch a very confused man astatine a barroom successful Florida.

“There was a feline sitting adjacent to maine rooting for nan incorrect team,” he said. “‘Wait a minute. Ireland’s successful white?’ It took him 30 minutes to fig retired which squad he wanted to guidelines for.”

That hasn’t been a problem this summer. Three days earlier nan U.S. crippled successful Seattle immoderate 500 fans, astir wearing nan blue-and-white striped jerseys of Argentina, revenge onto a 322-foot cargo barge moored successful Elliott Bay to watch their squad play Algeria.

“Our metropolis is really crushing it for nan World Cup,” said Daniel Norberg, a caller transplant from Amsterdam. “We’ve been really impressed.

“It’s sewage a awesome vibe.”

The aging 53-year-old barge, which typically plies nan waters of southeastern Alaska, was towed to Seattle by nan RAVE Foundation, nan charitable limb of Seattle’s 2 master shot teams, nan Sounders and nan Reign of nan NWSL.

“Elliott Bay connected Seattle’s waterfront, it conscionable felt right. Because it is truthful very Seattle,” said Ashley Fosberg, nan foundation’s executive director.

For nan U.S. game, tens of thousands much packed nan breathtakingly beautiful shoreline. Sitting connected folding chairs and nether portable awnings aliases opinionated connected actual steps and bridges, nan crowd seemed to agelong from nan water’s separator to nan horizon. When nan Americans took an early lead connected an ain extremity from Australia, nan crowd collapsed into a raucous cheer that gave measurement to chants of “USA! USA!”

A mile away, wrong Lumen Field, nan guidance to Alex Freeman’s extremity astatine nan extremity of nan first half produced measurable world movement, according to nan Pacific Northwest Seismic Network. The players felt nan shaking — and nan support.

“It’s reliable to put it into words,” guardant Folarin Balogun said. “It’s highly special. It gives america that past spot of information to conscionable spell retired location and really spell crazy.”

After nan 2-0 win, a triumph that sent nan U.S. done to nan knockout stage and opened up nan anticipation of a return to Seattle for nan information of 16, nan players took a triumph thigh astir nan section arsenic nan fans serenaded them pinch John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads,” overwhelming nan type playing connected nan stadium sound system.

Seattle, nan crowd told nan players, was nan spot wherever they belonged.

“It was conscionable incredible,” said skipper Tim Ream, who teared up arsenic he gathered pinch his teammates afterward. “It’s 1 of those moments wherever you’re like, ‘Is this existent life?’”

Deputy Sports editor Ed Guzman contributed to this report.