All Eyes on PNW: Group Stage Draw for World Soccer 2026 Tournament in Seattle

Fun facts and information about each of the countries competing at Seattle Stadium during FIFA World Cup 2026™

⚽This content is part of our #SnoCoGameday Series, which captures all the excitement of the beautiful game in the Pacific Northwest. As our region prepares to host the world’s biggest sporting event in summer 2026, make it your goal to plan a pitch-perfect escape to Snohomish County. For more information, resources, and content, visit discoversnoco.com. ⚽

Lumen Field will become Seattle Stadium for the entirety of the world soccer 2026 tournament.

After months of agonizing anticipation (or years, depending on your soccer fandom), the wait is finally over. The field is set for all 48 nations competing in the big world soccer 2026 tournament hitting North America this summer—and some of the tournament’s biggest matches are taking place in Seattle.

This iconic Pacific Northwest city is home to the Space Needle, Pike Place Market, and it’s the birthplace of grunge music. It’s less than 15 miles (roughly 24 kilometers) south of Snohomish County, making our sweeping coastlines, lush river valleys, rugged mountain trails, and lively downtowns the perfect basecamp for a PNW soccer adventure this summer.

Beginning June 15, Seattle Stadium (also known as Lumen Field) plays host to six incredible matchups, four of which take place in the group stage. This means the road to world soccer supremacy runs through the Emerald City for seven powerhouse hopefuls, and we’ve put together a guide that gives the rundown on each nation competing in the opening round at Seattle Stadium.

Belgium

Population: 11.77 million
Capital: Brussels
Last world soccer tournament appearance: 2022
Total world soccer tournament appearances: 15
World soccer tournament overall record: 21 wins, 10 draws, 20 losses

The Kingdom of Belgium is a Western European nation renowned for its Renaissance architecture and culinary delights, including chocolate, beer, waffles, and twice-fried fries. Roughly the size of the state of Maryland, Belgium is a small nation with a big impact, as it holds court as the administrative headquarters for both the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Notable people from Belgium include actor Jean-Claude Van Damme, actress Audrey Hepburn, and physicist Georges Lemaître who proposed the Big Bang Theory.

Opening stage schedule (opponent, location, date/time)

vs. Egypt (Seattle Stadium, June 15 @ 12 pm PT)
vs. IR Iran (Los Angeles Stadium, June 21 @ 12 pm PT)
vs. New Zealand (BC Place Stadium in Vancouver, June 26 @ 8 pm PT)

Bonus: Belgium will hold their tournament base camp at the Seattle Sounders’ training headquarters in Renton, WA. This facility is just a short trip (less than 30 miles or 45 kilometers) from Snohomish County!

Pictured: A chocolatey treat in Belgium

Egypt

Population: 120 million
Capital: Cairo
Last world soccer tournament appearance: 2018
Total world soccer tournament appearances: 4
World soccer tournament overall record: 0 wins, 2 draws, 5 losses

As one of the world’s oldest civilizations, Egypt is known for its many ancient artifacts, monuments, and landmarks, including the Great Sphinx, the tombs in the Valley of the Kings, and its many preserved hieroglyphics. It’s also home to the 4,332-mile-long (7,088 kilometer) Nile River — the world’s longest river — and the Pyramids of Giza, which are considered one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Egypt is a transcontinental nation in Northeastern Africa that also touches the Middle East in Southwest Asia. At 386,700 square miles or 1,002,000 square kilometers, Egypt is about 30% larger than the state of Texas. Notable people from Egypt include King Tutankhamun, Nobel Prize-winning author Naguib Mahfouz, and international soccer star Mohamed Salah (catch him playing twice this summer in Seattle).

Opening stage schedule (opponent, location, date/time)

vs. Belgium (Seattle Stadium, June 15 @ 12 pm PT)
vs. New Zealand (BC Place Stadium in Vancouver, June 21 @ 6 pm PT)
vs. IR Iran (Seattle Stadium, June 26 @ 8pm PT)

Pictured: Temple of Kom Ombo on the Nile River near Aswan and Luxor

United States of America

Population: 342.5 million
Capital: Washington, DC
Last world soccer tournament appearance: 2022
Total world soccer tournament appearances: 12
World soccer tournament overall record: 9 wins, 8 draws, 20 losses

The United States is one of three nations hosting this summer’s major soccer tournament, along with Canada and Mexico. The US is a diverse, multicultural nation with significant influence on global culture, economy, and innovation. It’s the fourth largest nation in the world by volume and known for its many famous landmarks and cultural icons such as Hollywood, the Statue of Liberty, the Grand Canyon, Disney, and Boeing – the world’s largest aerospace company (Snohomish County prominently features the Boeing Future of Flight Museum and Factory Tour, which allows visitors to explore the largest building in the world by volume). Some of America’s most notable people include basketball legend Michael Jordan, aviation pioneers Orville and Wilbur Wright, singer Beyoncé, and Snohomish County-based actor Chris Pratt.

Opening stage schedule (opponent, location, date/time)

vs. Paraguay (Los Angeles Stadium, June 12 @ 6 pm PT)
vs. Australia (Seattle Stadium, June 19 @ 12 pm PT)
vs. Türkiye (Los Angeles Stadium, June 25 @ 7 pm PT)

Pictured: Statue of Liberty

Australia

Population: 27.7 million
Capital: Canberra
Last world soccer tournament appearance: 2022
Total world soccer tournament appearances: 7
World soccer tournament overall record: 4 wins, 4 draws, 12 losses

As the world’s only country that’s also a continent, Australia is a truly unique nation that’s full of wonder. It’s the only natural habitat for many of the world’s favorite marsupials such as kangaroos, koalas, wombats, platypuses, and the Tasmanian devil. Australia is known for its beaches, surfing, and scuba diving. Down under is where you’ll also find the Australian Outback and the Great Barrier Reef, which is the largest living structure in the world. Notable Australians include actor Hugh Jackman, legendary rock band AC/DC, actress Nicole Kidmna, and the “Crocodile Hunter” Steve Irwin.

Opening stage schedule (opponent, location, date/time)

vs. Türkiye (BC Place Stadium in Vancouver, June 13 @ 9 pm PT)
vs. USA (Seattle Stadium, June 19 @ 12 pm PT)
vs. Paraguay (San Francisco Bay Area Stadium, June 27 @ 7 pm PT)

Pictured: Sydney, Australia

Qatar

Population: 3.17 million
Capital: Doha
Last world soccer tournament appearance: 2022
Total world soccer tournament appearances: 2
World soccer tournament overall record: 0 wins, 0 draws, 3 losses

Qatar is a peninsular nation on the Persian Gulf. Though smaller than the state of Connecticut, Qatar has an extremely high per capita GDP score. The capital city Doha is known for its sprawling skyline with futuristic skyscrapers, including the Burj Doha. Notable people from Qatar include Olympic track and field legend Mutaz Essa Barshim, entrepreneur and motivational speaker Ghanim Al-Muftah, and visual artist Fatma AlSharshani. Qatar hosted the last world soccer tournament in 2022, and you’ll have the chance to see this nation go for it’s first-ever match victory in the tournament during its games in Seattle and Vancouver!

Opening stage schedule (opponent, location, date/time)

vs. Switzerland (San Francisco Bay Area Stadium, June 13 @ 12 pm PT)
vs. Canada (BC Place Stadium in Vancouver, June 18 @ 3 pm PT)
vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina (Seattle Stadium, June 24 @ 12 pm PT)

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Population: 3.1 million
Capital: Sarajevo
Last world soccer tournament appearance: 2014
Total world soccer tournament appearances: 2
World soccer tournament overall record: 1 win, 0 draws, 2 losses

Bosnia and Herzegovina is southeastern European nation in the Balkans that’s renowned for it’s old-world Ottoman architecture, Balkan cuisine, and coffee culture. Bosnia and Herzegovina is roughly the size of the state of West Virginia, and its mountainous landscapes are covered in dense forest, rivers, and waterfalls. Notable people from Bosnia and Herzegovina include Nobel Prize-winning author Ivo Andrić, Oscar-winning film director Danis Tanović, and soccer legend Edin Džeko (catch him playing this summer in Seattle).

Opening stage schedule (opponent, location, date/time)

vs. Canada (Toronto Stadium, June 12 @ 12 pm PT)
vs. Switzerland (Los Angeles Stadium, June 18 @ 12 pm PT)
vs. Qatar (Seattle Stadium, June 24 @ 12 pm PT)

Pictured: Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina

IR Iran

Population: 93.1 million
Capital: Tehran
Last world soccer tournament appearance: 2022
Total world soccer tournament appearances: 7
World soccer tournament overall record: 3 wins, 4 draws, 11 losses

IR Iran is the second largest country in the Middle East. It’s twice the size of Texas and it’s one of the top global exporters of saffron, pistachios, and caviar. Iran is renowned for its traditional handmade Persian rugs, vast tea culture, and contributions to literature and poetry. Notable people from Iran include 13th-century poet Rumi, space tourist and engineer Anousheh Ansari, and Academy Award-winning filmmaker Asghar Farhadi.

Opening stage schedule (opponent, location, date/time)

vs. New Zealand (Los Angeles Stadium, June 15 @ 6 pm PT)
vs. Belgium (Los Angeles Stadium, June 21 @ 12 pm PT)
vs. Egypt (Seattle Stadium, June 26 @ 8pm PT)

Pictured: Isfahan Province, Iran

⚽Explore Beyond the Pitch: From the opening kick to the triumphant hoisting of the trophy — and beyond — Snohomish County, WA is your top destination for a pitch-perfect escape. In Snohomish County, you’ll discover that the best pre- and post-match plays aren’t made on turf, they’re made on trails, kayaks, and brewery patios. When the beautiful game kicks off in the Pacific Northwest, plan your escape in one of the many beautiful cities in Snohomish County. ⚽