The 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off in Seattle: a guide for newcomers. Seattle-Tacoma International Airport opens the renovated Concourse C to passengers. The head coach of the Seattle Seahawks shares encouraging news about injured players' recoveries.
2026 World Cup: a Seattle newcomer's guide
The men's FIFA World Cup starts on Thursday, and Seattle will host six matches of the marquee tournament. This is the first World Cup in the U.S. since 1994, with matches also taking place in Mexico and Canada. Who will play, who has a shot at success, and can the U.S. team go far this year? To answer those questions, KUOW "Soundside" spoke with Leander Schaerlaeken, a longtime soccer commentator and author of the new book The Long Game: U.S. Men's Soccer and Its Savage Four-Decade Journey to the Top, or Thereabouts.
Lumen Field will host six matches beginning Monday: four group-stage games and two playoff matches. Those include Belgium vs. Egypt on June 15, USA vs. Australia on June 19, Bosnia and Herzegovina vs. Qatar on June 24, Egypt vs. Iran on June 26, and playoff matches on July 1 and July 6. When asked which tickets Seattle residents should try to buy or which matches are must-watch from home, Schaerlaeken said that as a "soccer fanatic" he finds almost everything interesting. He noted that for Bosnia and Herzegovina this is only their second World Cup appearance, and they’re worth watching also because they have American-born player Esmir Bajraktarevic from Wisconsin. Bosnia is notable for qualifying via European playoffs, beating Wales and Italy on penalties. That’s serious — Italy, eliminated for the third straight year, is one of three countries to have won the World Cup three times.
The Bosnia vs. Qatar match is notable because, Schaerlaeken says, Qatar qualified on "controversial grounds" — they were allowed to play both playoff matches at home rather than on neutral ground, raising questions because of FIFA’s "very close relationship" with Qatar. On the other hand, because of ongoing wars in Iran and Palestine, Qatar’s national team has hardly played this year and enters the tournament underprepared. Iran is interesting too: "We will witness a World Cup where a host country is bombing one of the participants, which in itself is striking," Schaerlaeken says. He recalls long-standing internal conflicts in the Iranian team, when star forward Sardar Azmoun was dropped for criticizing the regime on social media. Football is hugely popular in Iran, and many players sympathize with protest movements but find themselves in a difficult position: they want to represent their country while also signaling support for protesting women.
As for the U.S. team, they’ll play against a "fun and cheeky" Australia, whom they already lost to in a friendly in Denver in October. Should fans be optimistic? Schaerlaeken answers "maybe." As a host country, the U.S. qualified automatically, which can be a disadvantage because qualifying matches are intense, meaningful games that toughen the team and shape its style and tactics. Still, the U.S. group looks manageable, with Paraguay, Australia and Turkey. Schaerlaeken reminds that the U.S. has reached the Round of 16 in recent World Cups, which is a "solid result" for a country competing with 211 nations that take football seriously. But going all the way is very difficult: in 11 World Cups the U.S. has won only one knockout match. "The U.S. is as talented as ever now, but I'm not sure they have the same grit, organization and relentlessness as before," he notes.
A distinguishing feature of this World Cup is that it will be hotter, bigger and longer. Heat is unlikely to be a problem in Seattle, but in other U.S. host cities — especially Houston or Miami — it will present challenges. Schaerlaeken recalls that the 2022 tournament was almost moved out of Qatar because of extreme heat. This tournament differs markedly in format: in 1994 there were 24 teams and 52 games over a month; in 2022, 32 teams and 64 matches in 29 days; this year, 48 teams and 104 matches over 39 days. "It will be a war of attrition, an endurance marathon. With so many additional teams, to win the tournament you have to win five consecutive knockout matches — like in the NCAA tournament, where the best team doesn’t always win," the expert summarizes. Read the full article on the KUOW website.
Opening of the new Concourse C at the airport: what will change for passengers
Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) officially opens the renovated Concourse C to passengers starting tomorrow — the result of years of planning and construction. The event, KIRO 7 News Seattle reports, marks the completion of a key phase of a major airport modernization program. The new space is intended not only to increase capacity but also to transform the travel experience, offering more modern waiting areas, an expanded selection of shops and restaurants, and improved wayfinding. Special attention was given to creating a comfortable environment with modern accessibility and sustainability standards in mind. For many travelers accustomed to queues and cramped conditions in the old terminal, this will be a welcome relief. Nevertheless, the opening covers only part of the larger project — the concourse will open Thursday, and much work remains to integrate it with other airport areas.
The term "concourse" in an airport context means not just a waiting hall but an entire complex that includes boarding gates, shops, cafes and rest areas located on one level or wing of the terminal. Full operation of the new facility will be phased in to minimize chaos and give staff and systems time to calibrate. The key issue is not just opening the doors but how this will affect overall SEA passenger flow, which has seen enormous pressure in recent years. According to statistics, Seattle’s airport is among the ten busiest in the U.S., and every additional square foot matters for relieving peak-hour congestion. Experts note that such renovations respond to growing demand for air travel in the Pacific Northwest, where the economy and population continue to grow. For travelers, that means a more pleasant experience and potentially shorter preflight processing times if the new space is well integrated with existing infrastructure. However, experience shows that construction work in an active airport brings temporary inconveniences, and final judgments about the benefits of the new concourse can be made only after several months of full operation.
Seattle Seahawks: McDonald shares optimistic updates on injured players' recoveries
Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike McDonald on Wednesday, after a mandatory practice at minicamp, gave reporters an encouraging summary of several key players' health, emphasizing that recoveries are on track and in some cases ahead of schedule. The biggest update concerned running back Zach Charbonnet, who is continuing to recover from an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear. McDonald said the player is "doing a great job," and when asked about his readiness for the start of the season the coach smiled and replied, "Anything's possible." It's important to understand that an ACL tear is a serious knee injury requiring lengthy rehabilitation that can take from six to twelve months. Charbonnet injured the ligament in the Seahawks' divisional-round playoff win over the San Francisco 49ers and underwent surgery on February 20. The Seattle Times reports that on Tuesday he was already doing endurance work in practice, which indicates good recovery progress.
Regarding other injured players, McDonald confirmed that wide receiver Tory Horton will miss the remainder of minicamp, but the team is optimistic. Horton, who had five receiving touchdowns and one punt return touchdown in the first half of his rookie season, suffered a calf injury in Week 9 and had surgery in the offseason. The coach said the examinations brought "good news" and his return is expected for the start of training camp on July 25. McDonald emphasized a cautious approach to Horton's return: "Maybe he'll be full-go on day one, maybe a couple days in. We'll see." The coach also commented on tight ends A.J. Barner and Eliyahu Arroyo, saying they are "going through some procedures" and their recoveries are progressing positively. Notably, Barner, despite an impressive last season with 519 yards and six touchdowns, appeared on the injury report with six different ailments over the final nine weeks of the regular season but did not miss a game. Arroyo, meanwhile, missed the end of the regular season and two playoff games due to a knee injury but returned to play in the Super Bowl. Finally, McDonald mentioned running back Kenny McIntosh, who is recovering from an ACL tear suffered early in last year's training camp, noting that the player is "making progress." As Seattle Sports reports, all these updates give hope that by the start of the new season the Seahawks will have reinforcements at key positions, although final decisions on player participation will be made closer to the start of training camp. In a recent Seattle Sports interview McDonald also hinted at plans to use Nick Emmanuori next season.
