Seattle and the surrounding region must "rise to match the momentous occasion" of hosting games in the 2026 World Cup, as success means the city would be "well-positioned for future events,” according to a SEATTLE TIMES editorial. Lumen Field is set to host six matches during the event, but Seattle and the surrounding region "won’t be ready until leaders make gains in restoring public safety services." City leaders have “yet to reverse a decline of 355 Seattle Police officers since 2020,” while other law enforcement agencies, including the Washington State Patrol, are “also struggling to replenish the ranks.” It “shouldn’t take the World Cup to rehabilitate local police agencies,” but the event “can’t happen here without an adequate number of cops on the street.” Sound Transit leaders also “should use the World Cup as another set of goal posts for the completion of long-promised light rail extensions.” Despite “successive delays,” new Sound Transit light rail lines “should open by the Cup’s start.” The World Cup can be an "example of Washington’s commitment to sustainability,” as the city’s infrastructure and public spaces for the World Cup matches are “largely ready.” The Legislature is “rightly funding around” $20M for “new seating and other upgrades at Lumen Field, as well as improvements” at a Univ. of Washington practice facility (SEATTLE TIMES, 3/4).
