The first-ever World Cup match in Seattle — between Belgium and Egypt — finished 1-1 at Seattle Stadium (better known as Lumen Field). Despite heat that was unusual for the city, about 100,000 fans gathered around the arena to be part of the grand football celebration. Thousands more filled bars, libraries and public viewing areas, and enterprising fans even chartered an entire sightseeing boat in Elliott Bay for $50 to watch the game from the water.
Seattle is hosting six World Cup matches, and the inaugural game showed that the local crowd is ready to support teams no matter the weather. All day the area around the stadium buzzed with an incredible sense of togetherness: Egyptian and Belgian fans mingled in friendly lines for ice cream and cold drinks, and the match itself delivered a tense contest with chances for both sides. This day will go down in the city’s history as the moment football truly took hold in Seattle.
Based on: Fans hang out despite the heat as Seattle’s first World Cup match ends