Millions of memories, smiles for miles: Tournament ridership breaks 3.4 million mark

Match after match, week after week, we’ve been thrilled to see buses and trains filled with soccer fans on their way to build summertime memories that will last a lifetime. 

With the tournament in the rearview mirror, the votes are rolling in that Seattle ranked No. 1 as a host city – propelled by our excellent transit access to the sports stadiums.  

Across six match days, the region tallied an estimated 3.4 million boardings on King County Metro and Sound Transit, with fans and visitors choosing transit over traffic, and steering clear of paying for parking. 

The final match saw some of the biggest numbers of the tournament, with 620,000 boardings. 

Overall, Metro estimates 1.9 million boardings across its buses, boats, shuttles and streetcars, and Sound Transit estimates 1.5 million boardings on Link light rail 1 and 2 lines.  

Thank you to all of the riders who made us their No. 1 choice. And a special thanks to the friendly faces who deliver the service smoothly, professionally and with heart: transit and rail operators, shuttle drivers, our water taxi captains and crews and the teams of high-fiving volunteers. 

“Over the last month, we have seen how effective our regional transit system is in getting people where they need to go. Fans enjoyed the ease of getting to Seattle Stadium for their matches, while our regular riders were still able to get to work and other activities,” said Metro General Manager Michelle Allison. “The World Cup reminded us that working together, we have created a way for the residents of King County to choose not to drive but still effectively move around the region, no matter how busy things are because of a sporting event or concert. Thank you to all of the Metro employees who made our time on the world stage a success!”   

Fans over the moon, ‘the buses are everywhere’  

Bob Hultz, 60-year-old U.S. fan from Dallas, told the Seattle Times he has been blown away by downtown Seattle, he said on his way to Monday’s game with tickets he bought before the World Cup started with the hope that the U.S. team would get to this stage. 

“The buses are everywhere. The city is so walkable. You have one of the cleanest downtowns in America. This downtown is as incredible as any place in the world.” Seeing so many fans flooding the streets is filling Hultz with excitement, he said. “I’m over the moon.” 

It makes sense! It was easier than ever to ride transit as Metro boosted bus service and operated special Match Day Shuttles between Seattle Center, fan zones and the soccer stadium. Plus, new Waterfront Shuttles connect Seattle Center, the waterfront, Pioneer Square and Chinatown-International District. Similarly, Sound Transit scheduled trains to appear every four minutes in the downtown core on Match days.

Seattle Times columnist Mike Vorel was part of the rising tide of positivity on the final USA match day. 
“Me? I’ll remember riding a bus from Ballard to the stadium Monday, as more red, white and blue boarded with each successive stop. … I’ll remember the pride of so many people, from so many places, draped in different colors, waving foreign flags, Seattleites all the same.” 

Riders score big with extra service, great options to keep moving
Metro went all out to make sure fans and riders across King County could keep moving, and be part of the big soccer summer experience. Our new shuttles had free rides subsidized by the SeattleFWC26. Our buzzworthy limited-edition commemorative ORCA cards are fan favorites, and our support for youth soccer fans who received free tickets help strengthen the community connections for years to come. 

“I want to express our deepest appreciation for Metro’s efforts in providing a designated bus for our ACE Youth Sports & Mentorship Group, as well as accommodating the media crew. This level of coordination and commitment made the experience smooth, safe, and truly memorable for our young people.” – Abdirahman Omar, Executive Director & Founder, African Center for Excellence (ACE) 

“Thank you King County Metro! We attended a World Cup game yesterday and got to and away from Sodo quickly and easily via Metro bus. We loved that the buses showed the game day soccer ball logo in the route sign area.” 

“Shout out to King County Metro for awesome World Cup cards, appreciate the free shuttle from here all the way down to the stadium, and really appreciate having to spend less time walking, and more time to enjoy the games.” 

“Hey King County Metro, I just wanted to say you are doing an awesome job for the World Cup. We ride you all the time, but you have been especially amazing bringing everyone all over the world together safely and efficiently. Good job, good job!” 

Summer isn’t over yet! We still have months of sun and fun ahead, with Seafair, community festivals, concerts and sports, and especially ongoing Trailhead Direct, Waterfront Shuttle and Golden Gardens Direct connecting you to hikes, culture, restaurants and the beach! 

Seattle’s Soccer Summer, by the numbers (June 15, 19, 24, 26, July 1, 6) 

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• King County Metro buses 1,800,177 total boardings 

• Including Match Day Shuttle 25,840 boardings 

• King County Water Taxi 35,014 total boardings 

• Waterfront Shuttle 8,143 

• Access paratransit 17,633 

• Seattle Streetcar 37,901 

• Sound Transit Link 1 and 2 lines 1,514,000 boardings