Seattle FWC2026 Launches Small Business Initiative

SEATTLE, WA – The Seattle FIFA World Cup 26TM Local Organizing Committee (SeattleFWC26) is marking 500 days until FIFA World Cup 26TM kicks off by unveiling a World Cup Small Business Initiative. On the heels of Visit Seattle’s December analysis that the World Cup will generate $929 million in economic benefit while supporting more than 20,000 jobs, civic and business leaders joined SeattleFWC26 at Pioneer Square’s Friend Museum to announce their approach to help more small businesses share in that benefit.

The World Cup Small Business Initiative will:

• Publish a statewide small business playbook to share information and best practices with businesses across Washington,
• Leverage the Community Business Connector program from the Seattle-Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce to offer training and advice for businesses regionally, and
• Create full-time World Cup Neighborhood Liaisons in the Chinatown-International District (CID), SODO, and Pioneer Square to provide in-community assistance and information for the businesses closest to Seattle Stadium (Lumen Field).

Today’s 500 day events highlighted partnerships with the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce (Seattle Metro Chamber), CID Small Business Relief Team, Alliance for Pioneer Square, and SODO BIA .The World Cup Small Business Initiative is based on more than a year of community engagement in the CID, SODO, and Pioneer Square as well as statewide engagements with chambers of commerce, economic development agencies, and business associations. The initiative also incorporates lessons learned from recent major sporting events that have visited the region. SeattleFWC26’s World Cup Small Business Initiative is funded by the State of Washington Commerce Department, King County, and private contributions.

“We are excited to put our legacy-driven approach into action with small business and neighborhood engagement that will help revitalize communities, create jobs, and build lasting, positive impacts,” said David Young, a SeattleFWC26 Board member and Chief Operating Officer at First & Goal, Inc., which operates Seattle Stadium (Lumen Field) where matches will be held. “With only 500 days until the games begin, we are wasting no time in listening, learning, and providing resources to ensure we support the neighborhoods and businesses that will be serving many of the 750,000 visitors in our city and region.”

Partnering with Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) to create Stadium Neighborhood World Cup Liaisons in the three stadium-area neighborhoods is a key feature of the initiative. Working in CBOs that the neighborhoods already know and trust, the Liaisons will share the latest updates, host neighborhood information sessions, be available to answer questions, offer translation where helpful, , and serve as dedicated advocates and troubleshooters before and during the tournament. The Liaisons will meet regularly with each other and SeattleFWC26 to share lessons across neighborhoods and inform SeattleFWC26’s World Cup planning.

“We are excited for this partnership and the benefits it will bring to SODO and other stadium area neighborhoods,” said Erin Goodman, Executive Director of the SODO BIA. “Our neighborhoods have unique challenges and too often are not included in planning for events that impact our districts. We are grateful that the Local Organizing Committee is providing this platform for collaboration and mutual success.”

“Pioneer Square is the diverse and dynamic connector between Downtown Seattle and the Stadium District,” said Lisa Howard, Executive Director, Pioneer Square Alliance. “Hundreds of thousands of tourists and residents will pass through our community on their way to the games, to join friends in watching in our restaurants and bars, or soak up the history and culture. We are going through a transformation reconnecting with the waterfront and adding pedestrian amenities– and appreciate the partnership with the LOC and City to accelerate these activities and ensure long term benefits.”

"Organizations like the CID Small Business Relief Team (SBRT) conduct their work based on trust and relationships nurtured over years of community engagement,” said Jamie Lee, SCIDpda, Co-Executive Director. “We provide culturally informed, multilingual support to help small businesses understand information impacting their operations and adapt to large-scale events. Many of these businesses are owned by immigrant and refugee families with language and technological barriers, making tailored assistance essential. We’re glad the Stadium Neighborhood World Cup Liaisons will be hired within existing community organizations, ensuring continuity of trusted relationships and expertise beyond the World Cup. Embedding dedicated staff to support the CID’s small businesses in preparing for the World Cup will help the CID fully benefit from the Games."

“The State of Washington is a proud partner in welcoming the World to the Evergreen State– and ensuring that local businesses benefit as we host the largest international gathering since the 1962 World’s Fair,” said Joe Nguyen, Director of the Washington Department of Commerce. “It’s through actions like creating neighborhood liaisons and a statewide small business toolkit, that we can ensure that our stadium’s frontline neighborhoods and communities across the state can share in the prosperity and excitement of Seattle 2026.”

In addition to focusing on the three Stadium Neighborhoods, SeattleFWC26 is expanding its small business engagement in 2025 as it plans and prepares for two particularly exciting World Cup matches in Seattle:  the U.S. Team’s Juneteenth match and a June 26th Pride Match. As part of the responsibility of hosting these special matches, SeattleFWC26 will focus in 2025  on Black and LGBTQ+ businesses and communities to highlight in Seattle’s planning and hosting efforts.

"We are thrilled to bring the excitement of the 2026 FIFA World Cup to Seattle and showcase our city's beautiful landscape, vibrant culture, and welcoming values to players, fans, and billions tuning in around the globe,” said Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell. "500 days out, we as the City are doing the work every day to prepare for this generational event and provide a safe, fun, and awesome experience for residents and visitors.”

Another key element of the planning is the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber’s release of a Statewide Small Business Playbook designed to help businesses across Washington prepare for large-scale events like the FIFA World Cup™. Available online for free later this year, the playbook will include planning considerations, case studies, examples, and resources to support business readiness.

To enhance the playbook’s impact, the Chamber's Community Business Connector (CBC) program will also be extending training sessions to small businesses across King County. Plans are in place to expand these services in fan zone cities and statewide, pending additional state funding, ensuring businesses of all sizes, particularly MBE and BIPOC-owned, benefit from this resource.

“The Chamber is thrilled to partner with SeattleFWC26 and our small businesses for this once-in-a-lifetime experience for our region and our state,” said Rachel Smith, President and CEO of the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce. “We want to help businesses take advantage of this incredible economic opportunity—and be nimble and ready to navigate temporary changes to accommodate all the World Cup action. And over the next 500 days, our collective work will be to ensure maximum benefits for employees, employers, and the communities they call home."

"The FIFA World Cup 26™ is more than a global event—it’s a powerful opportunity to celebrate, strengthen, and support the vibrant small businesses at the heart of our communities," said Laura Clise, founder & CEO of Intentionalist. "Through this cross-sector collaboration, we are excited to encourage, incentivize, and harness intentional spending to create enduring economic benefit for Main Street small businesses in the lead up to, during, and long after the tournament’s conclusion."

These announcements cap a series of recent developments, including unveiling plans for the official Seattle Fan Celebration at Seattle Center, and nine fan zones across the state in partnership between the Seattle FWC26 and local municipalities. Taken together, the World Cup Small Business Initiative, Statewide fan zones, and Seattle Fan Celebration are important next steps in SeattleFWC26’s work to host the FIFA World Cup 2026™ in a way that creates lasting community benefit for the entire state.

The 500 day announcements reflect the growing legacy focus of Seattle’s FIFA World Cup planning efforts– emphasizing long term investments and benefits for communities statewide, made possible by Legacy Partner Puyallup Tribe of Indians.

About Seattle FIFA World Cup 26TM (SeattleFWC26)

SeattleFWC26 is the local organizing committee for Seattle’s participation as one of the 16 host cities selected for the FIFA World Cup 26™. As a not-for-profit organization, SeattleFWC26’s vision is to foster a lasting legacy for our region, guided by the spirit of soccer, innovation, and inclusion. To keep updated on the latest news and involvement opportunities with SeattleFWC26, please sign up at http://www.seattlefwc26.org/get-involved.

About FIFA World Cup 26™

FIFA World Cup 26™ will be the largest international sporting event ever staged, with three Host Countries, 16 Host Cities, 48 teams, and 104 matches uniting an entire continent to showcase a momentous new tournament format. With more countries, cities, teams, and games, FIFA World Cup 26™ will be the most inclusive tournament ever, engaging millions of fans across 16 unique stadiums and billions worldwide. The tournament will take place in June and July 2026. For the latest FIFA World Cup 26™ information, please visit theFIFA World Cup 26™ website.

‍