FIFA Wants You To Play By Their Rules For Seattle’s World Cup Games

FIFA, aka “Fédération Internationale de Football Association” (shouldn’t that mean it should be shortened to FIDFA?) is bringing World Cup 2026 to the United States next year and Seattle is just one of the lucky, lucky cities hosting games this coming June and July. Of course many folks are excited about this…soccer/football fans in particular but also businesses and local civic boosters excited about this weeks long event and the prestige and money it will bring to the Seattle Metro area.

There’s also some folks a bit less than enthused because it also means the city will be a traffic nightmare for that period not to mention all the kowtowing the city and local organizations have to do to FIFA who are very, very demanding about their requirements for hosting the event.

There has already been controversy about FIFA coming to town…just a couple weeks ago, it was announced that the Friday, June 26th match would be a designated PRIDE MATCH with Seattle’s LGBTQ+ community being welcomed to join in the fun since the event was happening during Seattle Pride Weekend. Unfortunately, after the matches were set up, it ended up that Egypt and Iran would be the two countries in that Pride designated game which is…problematic as both countries are notoriously anti-LGBTQ with Iran actually outlawing same sex relationships but both countries are also guilty of persecuting LGBTQ people. So, not surprisingly, the LGBTQ community is annoyed by this choice as well as the two countries who have requested that this match not be a “Pride” branded one.

Not to mention just the general unease with FIFA in general, a group that has been accused of bribery and corruption, specifically and most recently in 2015 where charges were leveled against dozens of FIFA officials for bribery related to host rights being awarded to Russia in 2018 and Qatar in 2022. FIFA has also come under the scrutiny of human rights activists for awarding problematic states like Russia and Qatar with hosting rights; both countries are frequently cited for human rights abuses…and, must we bring up the “Peace Prize” that the asskissing FIFA recently gave to El Presidente Trumpf? A made up honor to placate the dimwitted/rapidly failing despot.

There’s also FIFA’s heavy handed attitude toward every little detail associated with World Cup with a lot of it having to do with FIFA trying to squeeze as much money as they can from hosts and sponsors. For instance, were you aware that Lumen Field, where all six Seattle matches will be played, has to rebrand as “Seattle Stadium” for the length of the matches so as to not interfere with rights of sponsors? And probably because Lumen Technologies didn’t want to have to pony up a shit ton of money to FIFA…

It even extends to how you can WATCH the game on television…let’s say you own a bar and you want to show the game…well, there’s a shit ton of rules you gotta follow if you want to do that. You don’t just fire up the big screen and charge extra for “World Cup Tequila Shooters”!

To help local businesses deal with this, the Greater Seattle Business Association (the GSBA) is providing a seminar in January to help them figure it all out:

Join GSBA, in partnership with the Seattle Sports Commission, for a free webinar on January 12, 2026, from 3:00–4:00 p.m. This session will help businesses prepare for unofficial FIFA World Cup 2026 (FWC26) viewing parties.

In this session, we’ll walk through the Community Watch Party Playbook, a guide designed to help organizations understand FIFA’s viewing party rules, licensing requirements, and event-planning best practices. The webinar will simplify the process of securing a FIFA viewing-party license and outline the key steps for hosting a compliant and engaging community event. The session will also include a Q&A with Eric Corning from the Seattle Sports Commission.

All GSBA members are encouraged to attend and learn how to join in the celebration while staying aligned with regulations.

Who This Webinar Is For

This session is ideal for any GSBA member considering hosting an FWC26 viewing party—whether you’re planning a small in-store gathering, a neighborhood activation, or a larger community celebration. Because FIFA’s rules for public viewing are strict, it’s important to understand compliance requirements before you promote or host an event. This webinar will help you avoid common pitfalls, ensure your event meets licensing standards, and protect your business or organization while still joining in the excitement of the World Cup.

It’s happening Monday, January 12th. For more info and to sign up go to: https://members.thegsba.org/eventcalendar/Details/hosting-a-fifa-world-cup-26-watch-party-webinar-1581832

Seattle is hosting six matches spread out from June 15th to July 6th:

Seattle’s 2026 World Cup Match Schedule:

• June 15: Group G (Belgium vs. Egypt)
• June 19: Group D (USA vs. Australia)
• June 24: Group B (Qatar vs. Playoff Winner)
• June 26: Group G (Egypt vs. Iran)
• July 1: Round of 32 Match
• July 6: Round of 16 Match 

Tickets are available via FIFA’s lottery system and hospitality packages, with more details on the Seattle FIFA World Cup 2026 website. 

Now, the next big question: how will World Cup events in Seattle impact our Pride events? Will things be different this year? We’ve heard some rumors…