Opportunity is knocking for an entire continent. The 2026 World Cup could change the way 16 regions in North America look and operate for years to come — at least that’s the plan, if organizers can capitalize on it.
Why is the World Cup such a rare opportunity for host cities?
The 2026 World Cup has been billed as the biggest sporting event in history. For 39 days next summer, 6.5 million fans will flock to soccer matches for a tournament that takes place every four years. A total of 104 matches will be spread over the 16 host cities —11 in the United States, three in Mexico and two in Canada. Each of those cities will see an average of 450,000 visitors over the course of the event.
Almost exactly one year from kickoff, many city officials acknowledge there are still logistical challenges to overcome and a lot of work to do. Still, they believe they’re on track for a successful event. Just having the World Cup come and go, however, is not the objective. Taking advantage of the new infrastructure, international exposure and the money that will arrive with the influx of visitors is paramount.
This will be the first World Cup in North America since 1994, when the United States was the lone host. The in-stadium attendance record that event set is likely to be broken next year. The 2026 event will be the first tournament with an expanded 48-country format, up from 32 in 2025.
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The first World Cup, held in 1930 in Uruguay, had an official attendance of 434,000 fans. The highest attendance is 3,568,567 at the 1994 tournament in the U.S. The 2026 event could break that record.
How is Atlanta using its experience to showcase the city?
Atlanta will host eight matches at the 71,000-seat Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The city is leaning on its experience with big sporting events. It started when the city beat out Athens, Greece — the birthplace of the Olympics — and won the 1996 bid to host the games. Since then, Atlanta has celebrated four NCAA Final Fours, two Super Bowls and the 2025 College Football National Championship, among other events.
Norelie Garcia is the CEO of Showcase Atlanta, an organization created to help ensure big events like the World Cup have a positive impact on the city. She has a plan to make it happen.
“This is a historic moment for everybody,” Garcia said. “Including Atlanta, which has about 30 years under their belt of experience, expertise and infrastructure. But as experienced as we are, as successful as we’ve been in the past, this will be new.”
City officials are building youth soccer fields around the region. Programs and incentives to get small businesses involved are rolling out, and community initiatives like the youth program “Soccer in the Streets” are drawing more attention thanks to the tournament.
Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens said in April that he expected the tournament to generate $1 billion in revenue for the city, and that they are investing accordingly. The city approved a $120 million bond to make bridge, road and sidewalk improvements, as well as to add more streetlights to the downtown area. Organizers believe walkability is the key to a successful event downtown.
“A lot of us joke that Atlanta is full, but that trend is not stopping, and I think the World Cup will open up a new image of how much Atlanta has grown,” Garcia said. “So, do everything you can to bloom where you are planted for the community, to rise up, to welcome the world. The world is gonna be at everybody’s doorstep.”
Seattle leans on culture to help revitalize downtown
Across the country, Seattle World Cup 2026 CEO Peter Tomozawa has a similar mindset. Tomozawa said the World Cup can change his city much like the World’s Fair in 1962, which put Seattle, Washington on the proverbial map. His group is in the middle of a major campaign to fund more than 40 projects related to the tournament. Tomozawa’s hoping it will leave a lasting legacy.
“There will be no other time that the spotlight will be as big and shining as bright on our community as during the World Cup,” Tomozawa told Straight Arrow News. “We can use this event to really galvanize our communities, to really invest — invest in children, invest in culture, invest in our communities.”
Seattle 2026, along with the Seattle Sounders’ Rave Foundation, has already built more than two dozen soccer fields for kids in underserved communities around the region, including on native tribal lands.
Tomozawa’s group designed a “Unity Loop” that would take fans around the city. The four-and-a-quarter-mile walking tour winds from the stadium, to the newly rebuilt waterfront, to the Space Needle, through the downtown and back to Lumen Field. It will remain in place after the tournament, much like Atlanta’s Centennial Olympic Park, which quickly became one of the top tourist attractions in the city and a catalyst for downtown revival.
Seattle is also making strides in its revival. After years of struggling with increased crime, office vacancies and economic uncertainty during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, its downtown core is improving.
Seattle police said violent crime is down 15% in the last year. According to the Downtown Seattle Association, local visitors surged 20% in 2024, foot traffic surpassed pre-pandemic levels for the first time, and 88 new ground-level businesses opened downtown.
Anticipation for the World Cup is growing
An economic bump from the World Cup could help complete the comeback. Washington’s state legislature recently approved $45 million for stadium infrastructure and transportation upgrades.
At Seattle Center, home of the Space Needle, fans will gather for watch parties during the tournament. The legislature passed a “Sip and Stroll” law in April so those fans can enjoy their alcoholic beverages in various parks around the city without being confined to a beer garden. The law will be re-evaluated after the tournament, but lawmakers said it has a good chance of becoming permanent.
The federal government is chipping in as well. In addition to President Donald Trump’s World Cup task force, Tomozawa had a meeting in mid-May with the Office of Management and Budget that involved the CEOs from all eleven American host cities.
“We asked the federal government for $625 million collectively to secure the tournament,” Tomozawa said.
After a couple days of meetings and presentations, Tomozawa said they now have the money they need. It’s the best example he has of all eleven cities working together to overcome one of their biggest challenges.
“We’re from all different parts of the country, different politics, different everything,” Tomozawa said. “But this is what’s the beauty of the World Cup. It’s an event that brings people together regardless of what you believe in, what your orientation is, the color of your skin — it doesn’t matter. It’s a unifying event.”
What challenges lie ahead for organizers?
Tomozawa and Garcia certainly have the public relations part of the job down pat — but that’s the point. They encourage everyone to get involved and take ownership of the outcome.
“How can we make the excitement of the World Cup something that’s not just accessible, but a ‘We are here’ moment for everybody, whether you can afford a ticket or not?” Garcia said.
From the perspective of a host city, the World Cup sounds like a win for everybody. However, there are several possible “red cards” looming.
A travel ban announced by the Trump administration Wednesday, June 4, may put a dent in the idea expressed by FIFA President Gianni Infantino that “the world is welcome in America” for the 2026 World Cup.
The ban, which goes into effect Monday, June 9, will restrict access into the U.S. from at least a dozen countries, including Iran, which has already qualified for the World Cup. There are exceptions for teams, athletes, support staff and their immediate family members, but not for fans from the countries on the list. Other countries that could potentially qualify are Venezuela, Sudan, Libya and Haiti.
The U.S. Travel Association, a group of former government officials and industry experts, said security and transportation — both locally and at points of entry — remain major concerns. There are also reports of international visa delays and the uncertainty surrounding the Trump administration’s ongoing trade war.
All of this, and just one more year to bring it all together.
“The worst decision I’ve made in this whole process was putting the countdown clock on our website,” Tomozawa joked. “It gives me no end of stress.”
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Author: Cassandra Buchman
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