Seattle’s iconic Lumen Field is preparing to become a central location for next year’s Club World Cup after FIFA President Gianni Infantino announced on Tuesday that the arena will host six games during the prestigious tournament.
The Seattle Sounders, who qualified by winning the 2022 CONCACAF Champions League Trophy, will play all three group games at their beloved home stadium.
In addition to the Sounders games, Lumen Field will host three additional games, making it one of 12 stadiums hosting a total of 63 games throughout the tournament. This year’s Club World Cup promises to be a spectacle, featuring 32 teams from FIFA’s six confederations.
In a lively video message shared on Instagram, Infantino called on Seattle fans to fill the stadium with a deafening cry of support: “We want to hear noise! We’re aiming to break the World Cup noise record at Lumen Field with the passionate Seattle Sounders supporters next year.”
The tournament begins on June 15 and runs until July 13, with the final taking place at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey – which has also been chosen as the venue for the 2026 World Cup final.
So far, however, the Club World Cup has not attracted significant U.S. sponsors, and a media rights deal has not yet been finalized.
Infantino’s visit also included discussions with local officials, representatives of the Seattle Sounders and their NWSL counterparts the Seattle Reign, as well as leadership from Seattle’s 2026 World Cup Organizing Committee.
In addition to hosting the Club World Cup, Seattle has been selected as one of the cities to host games during the 2026 Men’s World Cup.
After the dates for the Club World Cup were announced, global players’ union FIFPRO expressed concerns and criticized FIFA for not sufficiently taking players’ workload into account when determining the schedule.
On Monday, FIFPRO’s European division, along with the 33-nation European Leagues Group, filed a formal complaint with the European Commission, denouncing potential competition law issues and accusing FIFA of failing to properly advise on its regulatory processes.
The European Commission in Brussels oversees the executive functions of the 27-nation European Union and has the power to enforce compliance with competition laws.
Among the twelve European teams competing in the Club World Cup are heavyweights such as Atletico Madrid, Bayern Munich, Benfica, Borussia Dortmund, Chelsea, Inter Milan, Juventus, Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain, Porto, Real Madrid and Red Bull Salzburg .
In addition to these elite clubs, other teams have qualified including Boca Juniors, Flamengo, Fluminense, Palmeiras and River Plate from South America; Leon, Monterrey, Pachuca and the Sounders from North America; Al Ahly, Esperance, Mamelodi Sundowns and Wydad from Africa; Al-Hilal, Al Ain, Ulsan and Urawa from Asia; and Auckland City, representing Oceania.
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Written by Anne M. Peterson for the Associated Press
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