Seattle, WA
FIFA Club World Cup kickoff in Seattle clouded by fears of ICE, border patrol presence
SEATTLE, Wash. – What should be a festive kickoff to the FIFA Club World Cup in Seattle this Sunday has instead sparked fear and uncertainty among some fans after U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) suggested on social media it would be involved in security at Club World Cup matches.
The Seattle Sounders will face Brazil’s Botafogo in a high-stakes match at Lumen Field on Sunday, marking one of the biggest games in the tournament. Seattle, considered the underdog, will host the match as the city prepares for a broader role in the global soccer spotlight ahead of next year’s FIFA World Cup.
But for some fans, the excitement is being overshadowed by rumors and social media posts suggesting increased immigration enforcement presence at matches — not just in Seattle, but across the country.
Earlier this week, CBP shared a now-deleted post on its official channels stating, “Let the games begin – the first FIFA Club World Cup games starts on June 14 in Miami. CBP will be suited and booted ready to provide security for the first round of games.” The post has since been taken down but is still being circulated by outlets such as FOX Sports 940 AM in Miami.
According to FOX’s affiliate in Florida, FIFA President Gianni Infantino confirmed CBP agents would be working alongside Miami-Dade Sheriff’s deputies to provide security for the matches in Florida.
Concerns grew further after reports that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents advised non-citizens to bring proof of legal status to the matches. While that advisory appears specific to Miami, the uncertainty has reached fans in Seattle as well.
Washington Governor Bob Ferguson addressed those concerns saying, “I’m not getting communication from the federal government about what they’re doing. I want to be very clear about that,” Ferguson said. “But we, of course, are very focused on the days ahead of us and being sure we’re doing everything we can to ensure the President does not take any legal action here in Washington.”
The office of Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell also responded, acknowledging awareness of the rumors. A spokesperson said the city has been in contact with Gov. Ferguson and Attorney General Nick Brown. The office emphasized that Seattle does not coordinate or assist federal agencies in immigration enforcement.
Ticket sales have also become a topic of conversation. Sunday’s match tickets are available for as low as $35. In comparison, a ticket to see Paris Saint-Germain — featuring some of the most well-known players in international soccer — costs around $117 – compared to $350 a year ago.
While it’s unclear whether the enforcement rumors are affecting sales, sports analyst Nico Moreno of Pulso Sports said the drop in demand isn’t surprising.
“I really thought a couple months back that it would be beyond that,” Moreno said. “But when I’m hearing that there’s basically a fire sale on tickets, that people are getting free tickets if they bought the 300 level — people are being brought down from 300 levels down — it makes me feel like it’s going to be a Portland vs. Sounders atmosphere.”
In a statement, U.S. Customs and Border Protection said, “U.S. Customs and Border Protection is committed to working with our local and federal partners to ensure the FIFA Club World Cup 26™ is safe for everyone involved, as we do with every major sporting event, including the Super Bowl. Our mission remains unchanged.”
Security concerns aren’t unprecedented. During the 2023 Copa América final, hundreds of fans breached Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, an incident attributed to a lack of security personnel.
FOX 13 Seattle reached out to Lumen Field for comment but has not yet received a response.
Seattle is set to host six matches during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and Sunday’s match is being seen as an early test of how the city handles international sporting events — both on and off the pitch.
MLS FIFA Club World Cup Pay Dispute
The Sounders are three days away from their first FIFA Club World Cup match, the biggest tournament in franchise history, as an ongoing disagreement between players and Major League Soccer casts a shadow over the event.
The Source: Information in this story came from U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Washington Governor Bob Ferguson, Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell and FOX 13 News.
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Social media is absolutely flooded with the images, video and words showing a vibrant city and region full of the joys of our soccer heritage. The supposedly dying city of Seattle put on an exceptional show for the world’s game and once again is convincing USMNT players to consider the Sounders for their next stop.
None of that happens with a suburban stadium in Renton. None of it.
The championship banners in Lumen? They’d be gone, reducing the symbols of local soccer excellence from the TV feed.
All those packed local bars with their Sounders scarves, posters and kits? Gone.
This isn’t a hypothetical. Plenty of MLS teams are in metro areas hosting the World Cup. The other US MLS teams aren’t getting this kind of love. LA hosted a bigger US win, but that match experience was not an advertisement for the Galaxy or LAFC.
When Santa Clara hosts the Round of 32 match you are not going to hear a word about the 50-year-old San Jose Earthquakes. If the US advances to the semis in Arlington you won’t hear a peep about FC Dallas. If they make the final in East Rutherford the Red Bulls will be a footnote.
But when the world’s game comes to Seattle the Sounders are the conversation, because this team is in the heart of a city and region that loves it.
Ripping the Sounders away from these types of moments for revenue control while eliminating the free marketing to players and fans is laughable. Renton’s Legacy Square is doing a wonderful job for thousands of visitors a week. It is not Seattle. Nor is Southcenter’s shows in Tukwila.
Moments like Friday, the future Women’s World Cup matches and maybe even a US Round of 16 with hundreds of thousands of people experiencing Seattle’s soccer culture are only possible while soccer is a major tenant in a downtown stadium.
It’s why Don Garber praises the Sounders, and hardly ever mentions the flood of owners who built tiny houses in the burbs. “MLS isn’t what it is without the Sounders.”
The Sounders aren’t what they are without Lumen Field in Seattle. Full stop.
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Catching up on Sounder at Heart
Here’s what you missed on the site this week.
World Cup
Next Seattle match: Wednesday, June 24 between Bosnia-Herzegovina and Qatar.
Sounders
Next match: July 16 hosting Portland Timbers during rivalry week.
Reign
Next match: July 4 at North Carolina
Defiance
Next match: June 21 vs Real Monarchs.
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Looking back at the news
Everything else you need to know
World Cup
NWSL and women’s soccer
Puget Sound and other stuff
Ranger Suarez carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning, and the Boston Red Sox beat the Seattle Mariners 6-2 on Friday night.
Suarez (3-3) struck out five and walked three in 6 2/3 innings. His no-hit bid ended with Josh Naylor’s one-out double in the seventh.
The 30-year-old lefty earned his first win since April 27 against Toronto.
Caleb Durbin put the Red Sox ahead with a second-inning solo homer, his fifth of the year. Durbin had his second three-hit game this season, with his first coming against Tampa Bay on June 10.
Ceddanne Rafaela scored on a wild pitch in the seventh, and Marcelo Mayer drove in two more runs with a bases-loaded single.
Carlos Narváez added a sacrifice fly before Seattle finally escaped the inning on a diving catch by Dominic Canzone in right field.
Suarez issued a two-out walk that loaded the bases in the seventh on his final pitch of the night, but Justin Slaten ended the threat by striking out pinch-hitter J.P. Crawford to preserve a 5-0 lead.
Mayer added one more insurance run with a ninth-inning RBI double. The Mariners got on the board thanks to Julio Rodríguez’s two-run homer in the ninth.
Seattle starter Bryce Miller (3-1) struck out seven in five innings. He allowed three hits and one run.
Luis Castillo, who has started in all but three of his 258 career appearances, gave up five runs in four innings of relief as the Mariners revived their “piggyback” rotation.
Up next
Red Sox LHP Connelly Early (5-5, 3.81 ERA) starts opposite Mariners RHP Emerson Hancock (5-3, 3.28) on Saturday night.
Seattle, WA
Seattle fans pack waterfront hours early as USA defeats Australia, advances in World Cup
SEATTLE — Soccer fans descended on Seattle’s waterfront well before kickoff Friday, staking out their spots early to watch a highly anticipated World Cup matchup at Seattle Stadium between the United States and Australia. That patience paid off as Team USA won the match and now advances to the knockout round.
The atmosphere at Pier 62 was electric from the start, with fans lining up for prime viewing positions, whether down on the water’s edge or taking in the sweeping scene from the waterfront overlook above.
“I mean, look at all these people that are here hours beforehand to celebrate this incredible game,” said Paul Hanson, who was rooting for Team USA. “The hairs are going up on the arm.”
The energy was a draw in itself.
“The energy is amazing, everyone’s in a great mood, it’s just a lot of fun to be down here,” Maggie McNeil said.
Not everyone in the crowd was wearing red, white, and blue.
Lizzie Manning hails from Melbourne, Australia, and is now living in the Pacific Northwest.
Manning told KOMO News she hasn’t been back home in nearly a decade, but taking in the U.S.A-Australia match with the waterfront crowd gave her a taste of it.
“Whenever I see another Australian I’m like, ‘Aussie Aussie Aussie, oy oy oy,’” she said. “I feel so close to home. I need a meat pie, life’s good.”
“I’ve met so many people who are visiting from other countries,” Seattle resident Maddie Chaplain said. “I sat next to a couple yesterday who was eating dumplings for the first time from Argentina, that was so awesome.”
With Team USA advancing, fans like Aaron Olson say they’ll be back for more.
“USA’s gonna win it,” Olson said. “I will come down here every game. This is spectacular.”
The World Cup watch parties continue on Pier 62 throughout the tournament. They are free and open to the public with online registration, but capacity is limited.
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