Can USMNT World Cup run ‘change American soccer forever’ as special Seattle return looms?

The US Men's National Team is set to play a round-of-16 World Cup match in Seattle, a city with deep significance for American soccer history. MLS Commissioner Don Garber reflected on Seattle Sounders' inaugural 2009 MLS game, which he credits as a turning point that proved soccer could thrive in America and spurred expansion to cities like Atlanta, Montreal, and Los Angeles. The 2026 World Cup's presence in the US is seen as the culmination of nearly two decades of soccer infrastructure building that Seattle helped inspire.