Seattle-bound American Airlines plane surprises passengers with USMNT World Cup gear

A surprise on the plane is usually the last thing you'd want. Especially if you're trying to make it to the USA vs. Australia World Cup match the next day.

But passengers on American Airlines flight 6324 headed from Los Angeles to Seattle on Thursday were delighted by what they saw when they boarded their flight.

Passengers walked onto the plane to find U.S. Men's National Team jerseys slung over each of the seats, with additional limited-edition U.S. Soccer gear waiting for them. Based on the aircraft for Thursday's flight, there were likely 65 seats for passengers.

Some of them might have been heading to the U.S.'s second World Cup match which will take place in Seattle on Friday. The match is at Seattle Stadium and scheduled to kick off at noon. It is expected to draw tens of thousands out to cheer for red, white and blue.

Both the U.S. and Australia won their first match of the 2026 World Cup, generating even more noise around what many consider to be Seattle's moment of the tournament. Tickets to Friday's game were starting at $2,000 earlier this week.

Videos showing the decked-out plane circulated on social media Thursday afternoon, with people applauding the airline for the gesture. Clear backpacks filled with merch, including what looked like mini soccer balls were also on each seat. Every passenger received a limited-edition American Airlines U.S. Soccer amenity kit, according to communications representative with the airline.

Some commenters who said they had also recently flown to Seattle for a game jokingly (or maybe non-jokingly) tagged their respective airlines and asked where their jerseys were.

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This story was originally published June 18, 2026 at 5:01 PM.