MLT Chamber of Commerce, businesses prepare for 2026 FIFA World Cup

MLT Chamber of Commerce, businesses prepare for 2026 FIFA World Cup

Mountlake Terrace doesn’t have a huge shopping mall like Lynnwood or a view of Puget Sound like Edmonds, but the city’s businesses are developing plans to attract visitors during the 2026 FIFA World Cup. MLT Chamber of Commerce members gathered at their monthly meeting at Diamond Knot Brewery Tuesday evening to discuss ideas and network.

Chamber Executive Director Aireal King said in a presentation that Seattle will host six World Cup matches with about 10 teams and draw about 750,000 people from worldwide. Games in Seattle will run from June 15 to July 6, while the overall World Cup runs June 11 to July 19 with 104 matches in total, she said.

There will be official fan zones throughout Washington state, including Bellingham, Vancouver and Tri-Cities. The closest fan zone to Mountlake Terrace is in Everett.

“An official FIFA fan zone is like a large-scale community festival,” King said. “It’s free, it’s family friendly. It’s designed to feel like a shared living room for the entire city, so it’s not just a watch party. You can expect giant match screens with full sound, live entertainment, regional cultural showcases, soccer skill zones.”

King added that having light rail access is a major advantage for Mountlake Terrace, making it easier for visitors to stay locally in short-term rentals and still travel to the games, which could bring more business to the area.

However, she said that businesses may not use FIFA or World Cup trademarks in their marketing. That includes phrases like “FIFA World Cup,” “World Cup,” “FIFA World Cup 26,” “Copa Mundial,” and abbreviations such as “FWC” or “FWC 26,” or any of those terms in other languages. She compares it to how businesses say “the Big Game” instead of “Super Bowl.”

“‘FIFA World Cup’-related logos, slogans, mascots and even certain combinations of words tied to the event are registered trademarks, [which] exists to prevent consumer confusion,” King told My MLT News. “If a business uses ‘World Cup’ in a promotional way, the law asks, ‘Would a reasonable person think this business is officially affiliated with or endorsed by FIFA?’ If yes, that’s infringement. Companies pay millions to be ‘Official Sponsors.’ If anyone could casually advertise ‘World Cup Specials!’ it would dilute the value of those sponsorship contracts.

King said that large sporting bodies, such as FIFA, hire legal teams and brand-protection firms that scan websites, social media, signage and even physical storefronts. 

King suggested that businesses review the FIFA Intellectual Property Guidelines, Visit Seattle branding guidelines or the Seattle Sports Commission’s watch party playbook.

MLT Economics and Development Manager Ryan Doss advised businesses to network with each other to come up with ideas. 

“Participating in a program like Aireal just described, talking to each other about what we can do with the World Cup… that’s going to create a network for us to do future programs outside of the World Cup,” Doss said. “ So if we want to do restaurant week or just different types of business promotion here in the City, this is a great opportunity for us to start talking to each other.”

Double D Meats Chief Operating Officer Justin Nygard said that he and other businesses in West Plaza Marketplace are working on a single brand and marketing campaign that would draw visitors to their area.

“It’d be cool to have a unified voice and how we market everything here because we have a diverse number of businesses,” he said. “We’re actually in talks of doing something, we don’t know what it is yet. We all have different ideas, but absolutely anything that can bring customers in, regardless of the sport or holiday.”

Snohomish County Sports Commission Executive Director Tammy Dunn said that public transportation, especially the light rail, is the key for people to access Mountlake Terrace. Also, she said there will be no parking at Lumen Field during the World Cup.

“Mass transit is so important for everything, particularly in King County,” Dunn said. “But with Snohomish County, I know Community Transit is working on some opportunities to connect because they go down into Seattle.”

Dunn said that ORCA now accepts Tap payments, making it easier for riders to access the transit system. In addition, there will be extra staffing at light rail stations and transit centers, and hotels in Lynnwood are already being booked from international travelers.

“Be prepared to communicate with your staff…and the other key is you guys [in Mountlake Terrace] do a Fourth of July celebration,” she said. “Don’t stop. Keep doing what you normally do. That way you’re [still] attracting the visitors that come during the summertime.”