Russell Wilson backs Seattle's bid to host 2026 FIFA World Cup

Headlined by power couple Ciara and Russell Wilson, the Seattle Sounders FC announced Thursday their executive committee will try to bring the 2026 FIFA World Cup to Seattle.

The committee is helping to shape what the World Cup experience will be like in the city.

FIFA's delegation, including CONCACAF president and FIFA vice president Victor Montagliani, will visit eight potential host cities in the forthcoming week, ending with a visit to Seattle from Oct. 31th to Nov. 1st.

Montagliani will meet with local stakeholders to discuss venue management, infrastructure, sustainability, commercial legacy and legal matters, according to a Seattle Sounders news release.

The delegation will also inspect stadiums, training facilities and potential fan festival sites.

The executive committee has already helped brand the city's bid as SEA 2026.

Seattle Sounders majority owner Adrian Hanauer is the chair, and Jenny Durkan is the honorary chair.

Ciara, a Grammy Award-winning artist, and her husband, Seattle Seahawks quarterback Wilson, who helped bring a Super Bowl championship to Seattle, will join Microsoft CFO Amy Hood, Amazon Web Services CEO Adam Selipsky and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation CEO Mark Suzman to round out the executive committee.

According to the release, SEA 2026's presentation to FIFA will encompass three principles, which are football, innovation and inclusion.

Seattle and football

Founded in 1974, the Seattle Sounders' early days were as an NASL. The club often played before large crowds and against top-tier talents such as the Brazilian super star and three-time World Cup champion Pelé.

The modern-day Seattle Sounders joined MLS in 2009 and have advanced to the league's championship match in four of the past five seasons; the team won two MLS Cups twice in that span.

The Sounders played and won, 3-1 against the Toronto FC, the 2019 MLS Cup before 69,274 fans at Lumen Field, a stadium they share with the Seahawks, an obvious indicator of the city's passion for football.

Hanauer had this to say:

I have been a part of this sport since I attended Seattle Sounders camps as an 8-year-old while the club was playing in the original NASL. To be on the cusp of bringing the FIFA World Cup to the Pacific Northwest is something we can all take a great deal of pride from. We're not there quite yet, but thanks to the hard work of countless people behind the scenes and our incredible community for supporting the sport of soccer, we believe we can show FIFA why Seattle deserves to host the World Cup in 2026.