As one of 11 U.S. cities hosting the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Seattle has much to offer.

The Pacific Northwest metropolis has a long, rich soccer history. Public transportation is plentiful and easy. It’s beautiful, surrounded by water and mountains. The weather is mild. 

But Lumen Field (renamed Seattle Stadium for all six matches) has something else too. Home to the Sounders and Reign, and located just a mile from downtown, its partially retractable roof creates a cauldron of noise unlike most outdoor stadiums. In fact, the NFL Seahawks – another tenant – twice set a Guinness world record for loudest crowd roar ever.

Those  roars may be especially loud June 19, when the U.S. faces Australia in a group stage contest.

Frank MacDonald is one of many residents excited that the World Cup is coming to Seattle – even if he, like many in the community, did not win the lottery for (very expensive) tickets.

The soccer community is both large and tightly knit, MacDonald says. It supports the professional game, several colleges, and strong youth programs. Former players compete in adult leagues. “There’s two degrees of separation” in the Seattle soccer world, he says.

He should know. A former youth player who did not make the University of Washington squad, he stayed in the sport in other capacities.

MacDonald majored in communications, then was hired as a public relations assistant for the NASL Sounders a week after graduation. He spent 23 years at Seattle Pacific University, working with legendary coach Cliff McCrath. He joined the MLS Sounders in their infancy, handling web content and communications. In 2015 he co-founded Washington State Legends of Soccer, “celebrating the game’s past, and preserving its future.” The organization administers a scholarship in the name of the late Jimmy Gabriel, and runs an online museum. 

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