Cantwell Announces $8.4M in World Cup Transit Funding for Puget Sound Region

Cantwell Announces $8.4M in World Cup Transit Funding for Puget Sound Region

Lumen Field to host six matches, funding helps transit systems prepare for influx of international visitors

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and senior member of the Finance Committee, announced that the Federal Transit Administration has allocated $8,408,439 to the Puget Sound Regional Council to support transit services needed to get soccer fans to and from Lumen Field during the 2026 World Cup.

"With just over 100 days before Seattle hosts its first World Cup match, this announcement is a goal-line assist for local efforts to enhance the security and reliability of our transit system. Ensuring fans from around the world know where to go when using our transit system is critical to the fan experience. This funding can be used to put up signage, hire security personnel, and make other improvements to help ensure fans have information they need to get to and from the games safely on Sound Transit and other transit systems in the region," Sen. Cantwell said.

President Donald Trump's budget included no funding to cities to assist with the burdens that will be placed on local transit systems by the 2026 World Cup and other upcoming international sporting events.

Thanks to Sen. Cantwell's advocacy, the funding was included in the Fiscal Year 2026 Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development (THUD) Appropriations bill. In January, Sen. Cantwell led a letter to leadership of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees, calling on this funding to be included in the bill.

Sen. Cantwell has been one of the Senate's most forceful advocates for providing this funding.

In April, she reintroduced the bipartisan Transportation Assistance for Olympic and World Cup Cities Act to provide federal funding for local communities to prepare for transportation demands and ensure the successful movement of fans, workers, and goods during the 2026 FIFA Men's World Cup, the 2028 Summer Olympics, and the 2034 Winter Olympics that will all be held in the United States.

"From ferries to trains, buses to highways, the World Cup will undoubtedly put Washington state's transportation system to the test," Peter Tomozawa, CEO, Seattle FIFA World Cup 26 Organizing Committee, said at the time. "We appreciate Senator Cantwell's leadership to provide transportation agencies the support they need so we're ready to showcase Washington to the world in 2026."

Nationwide, $100,250,212 will be allocated to the 11 metropolitan areas that, like Seattle, are hosting World Cup matches. The allocations were based on stadium capacity and number of games hosted. Seattle will host six 2026 World Cup matches.

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