Everett’s About to Score Big
Everett’s About to Score Big
FIFA World Cup 2026 is coming—and Everett will be an official Fan Zone: six major watch parties starting June 15, a Juneteenth celebration for the USMNT, waterfront mega-screens, and downtown buzzing from Boxcar Park to Hewitt. After the tournament, USL stadium plans aim to turn momentum into a permanent soccer scene.
How FIFA’s 2026 World Cup is putting our city on the global map
By Wendy Poischbeg, CEO, Greater Everett Chamber of Commerce
When FIFA announced Seattle as a 2026 World Cup host city, our region scored. Everett? We’re stepping onto the pitch.
While Lumen Field will host the matches, Everett will be an official Fan Zone, turning our streets and waterfront into the region’s soccer headquarters.
Yes, we’ll have the massive screens, the watch parties, and the kind of electricity that makes a city feel alive.
And when the same crowd that packs Angel of the Winds Arena for Silvertips hockey meets the world’s game? Scarves up, Everett!
Why Soccer Rules the World
Soccer is the ultimate equalizer. There is no need for expensive gear or specialized courts. All it takes is a ball, some space, and the kind of passion that breaks through language and culture. It is the most popular sport on the planet; four billion fans cannot be wrong. From São Paulo’s back alleys to Manchester’s stadiums, the game creates instant communities where strangers become teammates for 90 minutes.
Here in the U.S., that passion is catcmhing fire. More than three million kids play organized soccer. Major League Soccer now rivals the National Hockey League in attendance, and streaming platforms are paying billions for broadcast rights. What once felt like a niche sport is becoming part of the American DNA, and Everett is ready to ride the wave.
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The Beautiful Game Meets the Working Waterfront
Starting June 15, Everett will host six major watch parties, including a Juneteenth celebration when the U.S. Men’s National Team takes the pitch at Lumen Field just 30 miles south. Picture this: Hewitt Avenue buzzing with team colors, Tapped installing massive screens for the waterfront crowd, Avocado’s prepping World Cup specials, and Angel of the Winds Arena ready to host overflow celebrations. That unmistakable energy that only soccer can generate will flow from Port of Everett’s Boxcar Park to every corner of downtown.
From our working waterfront to Hewitt Avenue, Everett’s built for celebrations that matter.
When Boeing workers, shipyard crews, and families from across Snohomish County come together for soccer, you get the kind of authentic energy that can’t be manufactured.
Tapping Into the Soccer Surge
The smart play is not just to host; it is to build. Everett businesses are already leaning in. Restaurants are planning themed menus. Staff are learning international traditions. Even the regulars at South Fork Baking Co. are swapping pastry tips for Premier League debates.
The real opportunity runs deeper than match days. Soccer culture breeds entrepreneurship — think specialty gear shops, training academies, supporter clubs that become local institutions. Everett’s maker spirit aligns perfectly with soccer’s grassroots energy. We’re talking about building an entire ecosystem around the beautiful game.
Playing Beyond 2026
With pro-level facilities, passionate supporter groups, and a deep youth talent pool, Everett could quickly become a true soccer city.
This stadium brings economic development with cleats on, promising jobs, tourism revenue, and the kind of community pride that comes from having a team to call your own. Picture Friday night lights with international flavor and year-round seasons – the same energy that fills Angel of the Winds Arena for Silvertips games, but every week from spring through fall.
The timing could not be better. The United Soccer League is working with Everett on plans for a new stadium, turning the World Cup from a one-time celebration into the start of a permanent soccer scene.
Shifting A City’s Identity
FIFA’s spotlight is already sparking change. Businesses are gearing up for visitors, youth programs are expanding, and soccer is finding a permanent place in our city’s identity. The beautiful game entertains, connects, and inspires, and in Everett, it is laying the groundwork for something lasting.
We have always been a city of makers and dreamers. Now, we are about to become a soccer destination. And we are ready to score.
