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Writer's pictureNiko Antoun

FIFA President Gianni Infantino Visits Seattle


Tuesday morning's Sounders training was not an ordinary day for the club and reporters covering the team. FIFA President Gianni Infantino toured the Sounders training facility, known as the Providence Swedish Performance Center & Clubhouse, as well as meeting the players, coaches, and ownership, alongside Washington Governor Jay Inslee and Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell. Infantino landed in Seattle on Monday and has since toured Lumen Field.


Near the end of his visit at Longacres, Infantino briefly spoke to reporters about his thoughts on the city and Lumen Field, and also discussed the upcoming FIFA Club World Cup and World Cup. The FIFA President described the interactions and atmosphere he experienced in Seattle as "a lot of good discussions and a lot of good vibes."


Sounders Majority Owner Adrian Hanaeur said he was able to spend a lot of "quality time" with the FIFA President, where he spoke about the story of the Seattle Sounders, including the origins of the naming, the Seattle Reign, and the history of soccer in Seattle. "He did confirm that the Sounders are his favorite team now," joked Hanaeur.



Infantino confirmed in his own words that Seattle will host six games each in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup and 2026 World Cup, totaling to 12 massive events at Lumen Field. The FIFA President described Lumen Field as "a very special arena which has a special soul, a special heart inside." When visiting Lumen Field, Infantino said he was there when it was empty and could not imagine how the atmosphere will feel when full.


Lumen Field's location makes the area accessible to fan events and marches, allowing large gatherings of people both inside and outside the stadium. "The great thing about the stadium, about Lumen Field as well, is that it's very close to the center of the city," Infantino emphasized, as he highlighted the significance of properly organizing the events and marches for the fans outside of the stadium.


Jane Gershovich / Sounders FC Communications


Alongside speaking about the organizing of fan events, the FIFA President spoke about the sentimental value world-stage FIFA games has on the communities: "What we need to realize, compared to any other sporting event, is when we speak about soccer and World Cups, there are really millions of people coming. Not just those who buy tickets, but there will be thousands of fans without tickets. They just want to be close to their team."


Regarding the three group stage games the Sounders will be hosting in the Club World Cup, Infantino's objective is to get the stadium at full capacity—69,000 cheering supporters, as it rightfully deserves. "The most important element is to make the hundreds of thousands of fans who should be coming feel welcome and and feel at home. They must feel welcome in the entire city," said Infantino.

Infantino anticipates that every game in both the summer FIFA tournaments and the upcoming MLS Cup Playoffs will be packed, drawing a comparison to the similar reception NFL football receives at Lumen. He is particularly excited about the prospect of fans breaking the sound decibel record.


Jane Gershovich / Sounders FC Communications


Hanaeur is focused on making the upcoming FIFA tournaments a great success in Seattle, stating "I want to do well. I want to make the city proud. I want to make our fans proud. But it's not going to be for additional pressure."


"It's such an honor, honestly, to have both the 2025 Club World Cup and the World Cup in 2026 here. It says a lot about how FIFA, which the global governing body of the sport of soccer, how much respect for our community there is for that," said Peter Tomozawa, the CEO of Seattle World Cup 2026. Tomozawa described the FIFA President as "quite an engaging guy," and was very happy to take the time to share the background Seattle has to offer as a soccer city.


The next two years will be a pivotal period for soccer in Seattle, as well as a historical point in Seattle's history as a city. There was an astronomical amount of effort being put into bringing two World Cup tournaments to Seattle by Adrian Hanaeur and Peter Tomozawa, and it's all in the name of leaving a long-lasting impression on Seattle.


All Photos: Jane Gershovich, Courtesy of Sounders FC Communications





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