USA face Australia in Seattle for first time in a decade at 2026 World Cup

The United States men’s national team plays in Seattle for the first time in a decade on Friday, when Mauricio Pochettino’s side faces Australia in their second group match at the 2026 FIFA World Cup at the 69,000-seat Seattle Stadium.

The last time the Stars and Stripes appeared in the city was at the 2016 Copa América Centenario — a quarterfinal appearance that only came about because Costa Rica’s upset of Colombia redirected the tournament hosts to the Pacific Northwest rather than New Jersey. Before that, the most significant occasion was a 2-0 win over Panama in 2014 World Cup qualifying on June 11, 2013, a result that prompted then-U.S. Soccer Federation president Sunil Gulati to promise more high-stakes games in the city. That promise went unfulfilled for twelve years.

None of the 26 players in Pochettino’s squad have represented the United States at Seattle Stadium — not even 38-year-old veteran defender Tim Ream. For midfielder Weston McKennie, the match carries a personal dimension: he was born at Fort Lewis, where his father, a former U.S. Air Force staff sergeant, was stationed. “I’m excited to see what it’s like,” McKennie said at a training session Thursday morning at the University of Washington. “I’ve never been here with the national team before.”

The squad has, however, been briefed on what to expect. Seattle Sounders captain Cristian Roldan — a hugely popular MLS figure who has played for the club since being drafted out of the University of Washington in 2015 — has given his international teammates a thorough preview of the city’s soccer culture. “I’ve spoken to ‘Roldy’ and other people who’ve said how much of a soccer culture Seattle has,” said defender Antonee Robinson. “I’m really looking forward to experiencing that first hand.”

U.S. Soccer’s leadership has long wanted to schedule more matches in Seattle, but logistical hurdles have made it difficult. The city sits in the far corner of the continental United States, making travel from Europe — where most of the squad’s top players are based — particularly demanding. The stadium’s artificial surface has also historically been a barrier, though that obstacle has been removed for this World Cup: the playing field has been replaced by a hybrid natural grass surface for the duration of the competition.

Friday’s match is only the second World Cup fixture at Seattle Stadium, following Belgium’s meeting with Egypt earlier in the tournament. With a full house expected and a passionate local soccer fanbase behind them, the United States will be looking to build on their opening result as the group stage intensifies.