Seattle Sets Match Days for FIFA World Cup 2026

Seattle’s FIFA World Cup 2026 calendar is now locked in, turning "World Cup summer" into specific dates that will reshape travel patterns across downtown, the stadium district, and the Sea-Tac corridor for weeks.

Seattle match days (Seattle Stadium / Lumen Field)

Seattle will host six matches total: four group-stage games in mid-to-late June, then two knockout-round matches in early July. The group slate includes a high-interest U.S. match on Juneteenth and a prime-time night game that will concentrate crowds later into the evening.

• June 15, 2026 — 12:00 PM PT — Belgium vs Egypt
• June 19, 2026 — 12:00 PM PT — USA vs Australia (Juneteenth)
• June 24, 2026 — 12:00 PM PT — Qatar vs TBD (qualification slot)
• June 26, 2026 — 8:00 PM PT — Egypt vs IR Iran
• July 1, 2026 — Round of 32 (time to be announced)
• July 6, 2026 — Round of 16 (time to be announced)

Why kickoff times matter (especially the noon starts) ⏱️

Three matches begin at noon, which compresses the entire "getting there" window into late morning. That’s the same slice of the day when hotel check-outs, brunch traffic, and airport-to-city transfers typically stack up. In practice, noon kickoffs tend to create earlier congestion than people expect — not right at game time, but several hours before.

The one evening kickoff (8:00 PM) flips the pressure the other way: arrivals spread out more, but post-match departures hit later, with heavier demand at curbs and pickup zones after dark.

Downtown + stadium district: expect managed space, not "normal weekend flow"

World Cup operations usually mean more than a busy crowd. Think expanded security perimeters, controlled crossings, and pickup zones that shift as the crowd grows. Even without naming specific streets, the pattern is predictable: the last mile becomes the bottleneck — not the freeway.

If you’re used to Seahawks or Sounders days, expect the same idea at a larger scale and for a longer stretch of days, especially around consecutive match weeks.

SEA Airport ripple: the travel surge won’t be one weekend

With Seattle’s matches spread across June 15–26 plus early-July knockouts, visitor traffic won’t land in one single spike. It’s more like waves: arrivals ahead of each match, then departures the next morning, plus mid-stay hotel swaps and day trips. That’s why the airport-to-downtown corridor tends to feel "busy for weeks," not just on the match days themselves.

Getting around: what will actually help on match days

A few practical truths will matter more than perfect routing apps:

• Plan to arrive in the stadium area early for noon kickoffs (late morning fills quickly).
• For pickups, choose meet points that still work if a curb lane is blocked or a turn is closed.
• If you’re moving as a group, one clear meetup message beats ten different "I’m here" texts.
• Build a buffer for "unexpected minutes" — staging, pedestrian control, and slow curbs add up fast.

Where your anchor fits naturally

For visitors mapping airport arrivals, hotel transfers, and kickoff windows, a pre-booked ride option like Seattle Town Car Service can remove one of the biggest variables: whether you’ll actually be able to get a car at the moment everyone else is trying to do the same thing.

What to watch next

The next big announcements won’t be the match days — they’re set. The next changes that will affect locals and visitors are the operational details: fan-event schedules, managed zones near the stadium, and the practical "where do pickups happen" guidance that typically comes closer to tournament time.

Uneeb Khan is the founder of Techager and has over 6 years of experience in tech writing and troubleshooting. He loves converting complex technical topics into guides that everyone can understand.