Pierce County leaders prep for 750K visitors during 2026 World Cup
Aug 20, 2025, 6:57 PM
Pierce County leaders gather to discuss plans for the World Cup in 2026. (Photo: James Lynch, KIRO Newsradio)
(Photo: James Lynch, KIRO Newsradio)
June 15, 2026. That’s the big day. The beginning of the FIFA World Cup 2026. The event is being described as one of the biggest in Washington history.
“The region is expecting hundreds of millions of dollars of economic impact. We’re expecting three-quarters of a million people, visitors from around the world,” Pierce County Executive Ryan Mello said.
Mello, along with other county officials and representatives from Pierce Transit, held a summit Wednesday morning. County leaders outlined their plans to ensure the event’s success, creating an enjoyable experience for visitors who are expected to extend their stays to explore everything Washington has to offer.
“We got to put ourselves in the shoes of customers — customers who are not from here, customers who don’t speak our language, and help serve them so they can have a great time,” Mello said.
Pierce County outlines World Cup transportation plans
One of the biggest challenges for the county during this event will be transportation. Streets will be crowded, parking lots will be filled. Organizers said public transportation will be the easiest and safest way to get to and from matches, and around western Washington. Pierce Transit expects demand could be higher than ever.
“We expect it’s going to almost double our ridership. And we’re fortunate that the state, in this last session, came up with some money for transit agencies,” Mike Griffus, CEO of Pierce Transit, said.
Griffus said they also expect money from the federal government to help offset any additional costs of moving people where they want to go, when they want to go.
“The county’s transit plan during the event will include buses, trains, light rail, and ferries. There will be multi-day Orca passes, so visitors won’t need to pay a fare every time they want to change locations or get to and from matches. There will also be ADA accommodations,” he added.
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World Cup to boost economy by $929 million
Preliminary economic impact analysis shows the event could bring in $652.6 million in direct spending, $929 million in total economic impact, 20,762 total jobs, and $106.5 million in state and local taxes generated.
Proper planning now will create a successful event.
“How to make these safe games. How to help move people around safely and strategically, and smoothly, and how we benefit from hosting these games long into the future,” Mello said.
If you want more information, visit Pierce Transit’s website.
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