More than 1,400 children in Seattle will attend FIFA World Cup matches at Lumen Field for free this summer, thanks to a city programme developed in partnership with the Seattle FIFA World Cup 2026 Local Organising Committee that organisers say is the largest youth access initiative of its kind in North America.
Each child selected through the programme will receive a free match ticket, an official stadium food voucher, and a Seattle FIFA World Cup 2026 scarf. Select nonprofit organisations will also receive shuttle service to and from the matches provided by King County Metro, ensuring that transportation does not become a barrier for families who need it.
The funding for the tickets came from major Seattle-based corporations and sports franchises including Amazon, Boeing, Microsoft, and Alaska Airlines, among others.
Mayor Katie Wilson said the programme reflects a deliberate choice about what kind of city Seattle wants to be. “We believe that world class experiences should be accessible to everyone,” Wilson said. “Sending more than 1,400 youth and their caregivers to the FIFA World Cup reflects the kind of city we want to be: one that provides them with the opportunity to be part of a world-wide event. Years from now, these young people will remember Seattle invested in them and made them part of something incredible.”
SeattleFWC26 CEO Peter Tomozawa said the impact of the programme extends well beyond a single match day. “More than that, they’re going to create memories. They’ll be able to create those memories and pass them along to their families,” Tomozawa said. “You’re going to talk about this as a moment in time, but it’s really more about how we measure impact over decades of time.”
The nonprofit organisations that will receive the tickets have been identified and will be announced in the coming days. Seattle’s first World Cup match takes place on 15 June.
