Seattle businesses see World Cup boost after hosting 6 matches

SEATTLE, Wash. - Seattle’s run as a host city for the FIFA World Cup has ended, but organizers say the tournament delivered record-breaking crowds, hotel revenue and foot traffic that boosted businesses across the city while offering lessons for future global events.

Leaders from the Seattle FIFA World Cup Local Organizing Committee, Visit Seattle, the Downtown Seattle Association and the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce highlighted the tournament’s economic impact during a news conference Tuesday, pointing to packed public spaces, record transit ridership and strong tourism numbers.

Visit Seattle Chief Business Officer Kelly Saling said the night before the U.S.-Australia match set a new record for hotel revenue.

"The highest peak came on June 18, which was the night before the U.S.-Australia match, and it broke the single-day revenue record for the city," Saling said.

She said the previous record was set in 2023, when Seattle simultaneously hosted the Taylor Swift plus two other concerts, conventions and a Toronto Blue Jays series.

"Overall that week in general had 40% revenue growth compared to the same time last year," Saling said.

Saling said the broader impact extends beyond immediate spending.

"The point of why we hosted the tournament…was the exposure for this beautiful Emerald City," she said. "Those stories and experiences is what will drive visitation in the future to our destination."

Downtown foot traffic reaches historic levels

The Downtown Seattle Association said the tournament brought some of the largest crowds it has recorded since tracking pedestrian activity.

Vice President of Public Realm and Ambassador Operations Jennifer Casillas said June 19, when Seattle hosted the U.S.-Australia match, became one of downtown’s busiest days.

"We can state with confidence that June 19, featuring U.S. versus Australia, was one of the busiest days downtown that we have ever seen since we began tracking data," Casillas said.

She said more than 580,000 domestic visitors came downtown that day, noting the figure does not include international visitors.

Casillas said Occidental Square welcomed more than 28,000 visitors that day, while Westlake Park saw approximately 9,000 people.

She said Seattle’s walkable downtown and proximity between the stadium and business district helped create a fan experience that encouraged visitors to spend time — and money — outside the stadium.

World Cup leaves lasting business legacy, organizers say

Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce Chief of Staff Lynette Buffington said business preparation began more than a year before kickoff.

The chamber created a small business readiness blueprint designed to help businesses prepare for major events and capitalize on increased tourism.

"We’re especially proud of the small business readiness playbook," Buffington said, adding that organizers plan to use it for future events.

She said early feedback from businesses has been encouraging.

"We’ve heard stories of success, we’ve heard stories of business nimbleness, and how folks have pivoted."

Seattle Sports Commission President and CEO Beth Knox said hosting the World Cup strengthens Seattle’s position to attract future international sporting events.

"The world watched how Seattle showed up," Knox said. "Hosting the World Cup positioned our region as a proven destination for the next generation of major international events."

Chinatown-International District businesses see late surge

While organizers celebrated citywide economic gains, some businesses in Seattle’s Chinatown-International District said they did not see significant benefits until the tournament’s final match in Seattle.

A last-minute watch party at Hing Hay Park for the U.S.-Belgium match drew thousands after nearby viewing areas reached capacity.

Former Seattle City Councilmember and CID community leader Tanya Woo, who owns a restaurant in the neighborhood, said businesses finally experienced the crowds they had anticipated throughout the tournament.

"The watch party… was amazing," Woo said. "We had a lot of people helping us bring people in. Pioneer Square was at capacity, so they were telling folks to come up here."

Woo said organizers eventually had to close part of King Street because of the crowds.

"We had to close King Street… we were at capacity," Woo said. "At Kau Kau, we ran out of food and had to close early."

She called the turnout "amazing."

"It should have been like this for all of the match days here in Seattle," Woo said. "This is the business that we were hoping for."

Woo said businesses watched other neighborhoods benefit from World Cup-related activity throughout the tournament.

"We knew that we’d be able to get [this business], because we saw it happening in the waterfront, Pioneer Square, downtown Seattle, Seattle Center," she said.

She added that while Chinatown businesses saw increased activity during the final watch party, Little Saigon did not experience the same level of customer traffic.

"Unfortunately, people did not move up past into that neighborhood," Woo said.

Questions remain ahead of future major events

Woo said the World Cup was not the first major sporting event where businesses in the neighborhood felt left out.

Following Seattle’s 2023 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, some Chinatown-International District business owners also questioned whether visitors were reaching the neighborhood.

Woo said she hopes future events include more communication, better multilingual outreach and additional planning with neighborhood stakeholders.

"I think there are a lot of lessons learned," she said. "Love to continue having conversations with organizing committees and the city."

Organizers acknowledged improvements can be made before Seattle hosts another global event.

"We don’t profess to be perfect at everything," Local Organizing Committee CEO Peter Tomozawa said. "We’ll definitely take that feedback."

Tomozawa defended the committee’s outreach efforts, saying organizers worked with Chinatown-International District leaders from the beginning of the planning process.

"We funded a business liaison position," he said. "We gave them the same information we gave all the other neighborhoods day one."

He acknowledged organizers may need to be more persistent in future outreach efforts but rejected claims the neighborhood had been excluded.

"The idea that we didn’t inform them or did not include them is simply untrue," Tomozawa said.

Looking ahead

Organizers said Seattle’s experience hosting six World Cup matches positions the region to compete for future international sporting events, including the potential opportunity to host matches during the 2031 FIFA Women’s World Cup if the United States is selected.

They also plan to complete an after-action report incorporating feedback from businesses, neighborhoods and public agencies to guide planning for future events.

"The clear winner has already been decided," Tomozawa said. "The clear winner is the city of Seattle and the state of Washington."

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