Hundreds of Belgium fans march through Seattle ahead of FIFA match

SEATTLE - Belgian supporters turned downtown Seattle into a sea of black, red and yellow ahead of their match, gathering early Monday morning before marching toward Seattle Stadium for the Belgium-Egypt match.

At Victory Hall outside T-Mobile Park, large crowds had already formed around 9:00 a.m. Many had traveled from Belgium to be part of the festivities.

Stella Artois flowed freely as supporters, dressed in the colors of the Belgian national team, prepared for the march.

Belgium has landed in Seattle!

With a police escort, fans made their way down First Avenue, through King Street and toward Seattle Stadium. 

The procession was led by drummers and followed by what supporters call the "Red Devil Army."

The crowd featured a mix of costumes and fan gear, including devil horns, Viking hats, scarves and flags. A few supporters even dressed as "frites," the Belgian-style French fries that are a staple of the country's cuisine.

Local connection at the front of the parade

At the head of the march were two drummers with ties to Western Washington.

According to Mandy Whitaker, "these are the two band directors from the middle schools and Camano school district."

Whitaker said one of the drummers' husbands serves as co-director of the Sounders band. She said the Belgian football association reached out looking for drummers.

Visitors impressed by Seattle

Among the supporters were fans visiting from Antwerp.

They told FOX 13 Seattle they were struck by how green and clean Seattle appeared. They also remarked that they do not have stadiums of the same size and magnitude where they are from. They did, however, argue that Belgian Trappist beers are far superior to our local IPAs.

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