The latest issue of IV: the Sounder at Heart magazine has officially been sent to the printer. This issue is clocking in at a whopping 56 pages, chock full of content focused entirely on Seattle’s role in the upcoming World Cup.
It wasn’t entirely by design, but a very clear theme emerged when we were putting this together: the grassroots aspects of the Seattle bid. Among the stories we’ll be sharing:
- How the failed 1994 World Cup bid helped shape and form this successful one.
- An explanation of why the RAVE Foundation centered building community-focused soccer pitches all around the state.
- The inside story of the formation and maintenance of Ballard FC and Salmon Bay FC.
- What makes Seattle different from other soccer cities around the country.
- The impression the 2013 USMNT qualifier left on supporter culture in this country.
- A guide to events in the area, how to get around, and non-soccer things to do.
- The cover – which depicts a tugboat pulling a giant soccer ball into Seattle's harbor – was designed by local artist Stuart Bloomfield (@strtdidthis on Instagram).
In addition to these stories, we also lined up some genuine heavy hitters. Charles Boehm wrote about the Iranian diaspora’s excitement for having a chance to see Team Melli; we have an excerpt from Paul Tenorio’s upcoming book “The Messi Effect”; Leander Schaerlaeckens shared some of his experiences from covering previous World Cups; and Garth Lagerwey provided an essay about what this tournament could mean for American soccer. There are also profiles of all seven teams who will be playing here, a full schedule of games and, yes, the crossword puzzle is back.
This will likely be the final issue of 2026 as we’ve basically decided that the cadence we can currently maintain is one season-preview issue and one special-event issue per year.
The cost for this issue is $15, but you can get a $5 discount if you are a subscriber at the Supporter ($75/year) level or above (check your email for that offer). We’re also offering a bundle option for $20 if you’d like to also get a copy of Issue 1 (use code “BUNDLE” at checkout).
If you’d like to ensure that you will receive your issue before the World Cup kicks off, I’d suggest getting your order in by Monday, May 25. Due to logistics, we won’t be doing a formal launch event this time and there’s no pickup option, but we will likely be selling copies at watch parties we’ll be hosting during the tournament.
Thanks again for supporting local media and we hope you’ll enjoy this issue.
