While Pacific Northwest soccer fans have been preparing for the 2026 FIFA World Cup to commence across North America, Whatcom County soccer fans can be especially excited after the city of Bellingham was named one of nine “Fan Zone” cities in Washington State.
Bellingham mayor Kim Lund joined a group of Washington mayors, representatives from FIFA and other elected officials for an announcement ceremony at Lumen Field in Seattle on January 14.
The 2026 World Cup will be held at stadiums across the U.S., Mexico and Canada – including Seattle and Vancouver, B.C. – and is expected to bring 750,000 fans to the Pacific Northwest for a slate of summer games.
Situated right between Seattle’s Lumen Field and Vancouver’s BC Place, Bellingham was named an official “Fan Zone,” meaning the six games played at Lumen Field (including a match featuring Team USA scheduled for June 19, 2026) will be broadcast at watch parties in businesses and venues across Bellingham.
Partnering with the Seattle FIFA World Cup 2026 organizing committee, Port of Bellingham and Visit Bellingham, the city is now fully underway on preparations before one of the biggest sporting events in the world comes to town.
“We’re leveraging this moment to grow economic opportunities for local businesses, spur legacy projects that will benefit our community for years to come, and to showcase our city as a perennial destination for visitors,” said Melissa Morin, communications director for the city of Bellingham.
Other fan zones around the state include Bremerton, Everett, Olympia, Tri-Cities, Spokane, Tacoma, Vancouver and Yakima. The organizing committee is working with broadcaster FOX 13 Seattle to support the fan zones, which may feature live entertainment, interactive fan attractions and more.
Vancouver will host seven World Cup games at BC Place, starting on June 13, 2026, and will host two games featuring the Canadian national team on June 18 and 24, 2026.
The final World Cup game in Vancouver will be a round of 16 game on July 7, 2026.
Seattle will host six World Cup games, starting on June 15, 2026. The final World Cup game at Lumen Field will be a round of 16 game on July 6.
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