SEATTLE – I know exactly the moment when it felt like the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup was really here.
I was riding a bike along the newly refurbished waterfront when I saw a large gathering of red-clad fans waving a gigantic Egypt flag in front of the Great Wheel. They were singing, chanting, and more than anything else, smiling. I could see the joy on their faces as more joined them, while crossing Alaskan Way. You could feel a sudden sense of belonging, that they had found “their people.”
A short while later, I encountered this group again as they marched through Pioneer Square. Their numbers had swelled considerably by that time and the chanting was much louder. I got genuine goosebumps seeing them make their way to Seattle Stadium where they were getting ready to watch their beloved Pharaohs take on Belgium.
For the better part of the last 18 months, there’s been a lot of well-deserved discussion of the baggage that comes along with hosting this World Cup, in particular. Tickets are too expensive. Local governments are bearing undue burdens for the costs. The politics surrounding it are toxic.
But there was also an undeniable optimism. As frustrated as people have been, they have also been excited to show off Seattle to the world and to watch some of the best players in history. With a little luck, we’d get some sunny days, be treated to world-class soccer and spend more time talking about that than anything else.
I don’t think anyone who came to the game or even lingered in Pioneer Square will be complaining.
With a bright sun overhead and at least two all-time greats on the field – yes, Mo Salah and Kevin De Bruyne fit that bill – it was about as close to a perfect Seattle World Cup debut as anyone could have asked.
Inside the stadium, it was a sea of red – due in large part to that being both teams’ primary color – and the energy was unmistakably positive. Fans intermingled seemingly without any issues, all just happy to finally experience what it was like to have the FIFA show in town. There were plenty of activities in the concourse to help justify the steep costs and even the long lines to get into the Pro Shop seemed to move quickly. Expensive as tickets were, the game was announced as a near sellout and unlike many other stadiums, it actually felt that way.
When Egypt scored the opener, the stadium exploded in cheers. That included inside the press box, where the Egyptian media clearly have a different code of conduct than Americans. It was just the second time in history that Egypt had led at any point in a World Cup match.
Belgium eventually equalized, eliciting an equally strong explosion of joy – including inside the press box.
When the game ended in a 1–1 tie, I got the distinct sense that both teams and their fans left largely satisfied. Egypt had shown that they have the talent and mentality to stand toe-to-toe with a very good European side, while Belgium proved they could take a punch without going down. This is unlikely to be the game that defines either side’s World Cup journey.
The postgame vibes in Pioneer Square were absolutely magnificent. I stumbled across what seemed to be an Egypt after-party with electronic music thumping in an alley. Dozens of fans lingered in the temporarily pedestrianized zone, partaking in the numerous beer gardens, playing lightly organized pickup soccer and generally just basking in the afterglow of the kind of event we had always hoped to get.
For Seattle, too, this was exactly as we dreamed it would be. It was also just the first act. The next one will see a suddenly confident United States face an equally brimming Australia, both coming off multi-goal victories in their openers and likely feeling as though the group is theirs to win. I suspect the area around the stadium will be swarmed with nearly as many ticketless fans as those with them. If the atmosphere was buzzing for Egypt-Belgium, it will be considerably more kinetic on Friday.
Later in the tournament, we’ll have two knockout games that will serve as the definitive moments for the teams involved.
This will always be the first. Whatever comes next, I’m not sure it could have been any better.
