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Seattle World Cup organizer briefs Bellevue on safety, legacy and fan-zone plans
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Summary
Seattle FWC 26 told Bellevue council the region will host six World Cup matches this summer; organizers emphasized transit-first planning, regional fan zones, safety coordination with federal and state partners, and community activation tools including training, an events calendar and a 'See and Win' app.
Dylan Ordonez, senior vice president of external affairs for the Seattle 2026 local organizing committee, briefed Bellevue City Council on regional hosting plans for the FIFA World Cup and what Bellevue residents can expect this summer.
Ordonez said Seattle will host six matches between June 15 and July 6 and emphasized a regional approach with distributed fan zones, community activations and legacy investments such as new pitches and public art. "We're leading with legacy," he said, adding the organizing committee wants lasting local benefits beyond the matches themselves.
Ordonez stressed transit and safety planning: gates will open three hours before kickoff and close two hours after the last kick; the organizing committee is coordinating with federal, state and local law enforcement and encouraged spectators to use transit, walk or bike because there will be no parking at the stadium. He said training slots on trafficking awareness are available for frontline employees and staff will share best-practice playbooks (branding, inclusion, preventing trafficking, watch-party guidance) on a public website and app.
Council members asked about trafficking preparedness and federal enforcement presence. Ordonez said FIFA controls activity inside secure perimeters, while the local organizing committee focuses on planning outside the stadium; he confirmed organizers have worked with federal partners on safety and preparedness resources but said immigration policy is outside the committee's control.
Ordonez also described community-facing tools: an events calendar for soccer-related activities across the state and the "See and Win" app that gamifies exploration of host-city events and can award prizes. He said staff will continue coordination with Bellevue on local activations, watch parties and public education campaigns leading up to June.
