Larsen's legislative work readies state for World Cup soccer matches

U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen has been supporting the 2026 FIFA World Cup men's soccer tournament in recent months through multiple pieces of legislation.

Larsen represents Washington's 2nd Congressional District, which includes Skagit County.

He helped create the FIFA World Cup Grant Program, which has provided $625 million in funding for cities hosting matches.

The funding, which is administered through the Federal Emergency Management Agency, will help cities such as Seattle with necessary security measures.

Through the Transportation Assistance for Olympic and World Cup Cities Act, a bipartisan bill with Utah Rep. Burgess Owens, Larsen helped secure funding for future sporting events, authorizing $50 million per year for cities to use for transportation.

For this summer's soccer tournament, Larsen helped secure $100.3 million for host cities, with roughly $8 million going to the Puget Sound Regional Council.

When it comes to transportation between host cities, Amtrak recently announced its pre-clearance station in Vancouver, allowing fans to travel between Seattle and Vancouver without a stop at the Canadian border.

Other legislation includes a counter-drone program for host states and a commemorative World Cup coin.

This work is especially important for Larsen, who is a lifetime soccer player and fan.

He recently participated in the annual Congressional Soccer Match and serves on the Congressional Soccer Caucus, which advocates for youth soccer participation around the country, particularly in soccer deserts.

Larsen said Seattle is doing its own work to identify legacy projects post-tournament to help increase access to the sport.

While he said it's been a learning curve for host cities to adjust to FIFA's stringent branding guidelines, Seattle has adjusted well.

"It's very important for the Pacific Northwest to be able to host six games in Seattle and seven games in Vancouver," Larsen said. "It underscores how important soccer is for the Pacific Northwest and Canadian Pacific."

Washington is a special host state for two reasons, he said, the first being its natural beauty.

Additionally, an emphasis on Indigenous cultures sends a "strong message to the world" about what is important in the Pacific Northwest.

With fan zones in Everett and Bellingham, and the opportunity to generate revenue in cities and towns along Interstate 5 as fans travel between Seattle and Vancouver, the state has much to gain from the tournament.

The World Cup will kick off Thursday. The first match in Seattle will be Monday.

Seattle group-stage matchups include Belgium vs. Egypt on Monday, Australia vs. the U.S. on June 19, Bosnia-Herzegovina vs. Qatar on June 24 and Egypt vs. Iran on June 26.

All Seattle matches will take place at Lumen Field, which has temporarily been renamed Seattle Stadium for the duration of the tournament.

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