Press Release: “Renton, Ready to Play!”
Published on December 05, 2025
RENTON, WA (DECEMBER 5, 2025) – The City of Renton is excited to announce its new campaign, "Renton, Ready to Play!", designed to unite the city and business community with a single, energized voice in anticipation of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. This initiative aims to attract residents, visitors, and businesses to participate in this global sporting event on a local level.
As the proud home of the Seattle Sounders FC and with Renton’s strategic location in the region, the city will play a key role throughout the World Cup. The event is expected to draw approximately 750,000 visitors to the area.
Renton will be “Ready to Play” embracing the excitement by hosting free community watch parties right in the heart of downtown at our new Legacy Square. Keep an eye out for more details in January.
With many new faces expected to come to Renton this summer, partnerships and collaborations with local businesses and community groups will help activate the city and promote new and unique community opportunities.
“The World Cup is a worldwide celebration. Our ‘Renton, Ready to Play!’ campaign takes full advantage of this moment in the global spotlight to showcase the best of our city,” said Mayor Armondo Pavone. “We’re highlighting local art, culture and the best of our gathering spaces as we welcome international fans to Renton.”
Seattle will host six matches from mid-June through early July 2026, as announced by FIFA earlier today. Match dates are scheduled for June 15, June 19 (USA vs. anticipated opponent Australia), June 24, June 26, July 1, and July 6. Teams playing in these six matches will be revealed as the tournament progresses, but will include matches from Group B and G (for information on group nations, visit fifa.com).
Before team selections, the community gathered to celebrate the unveiling of one of Renton’s newest murals, capturing the excitement of the upcoming World Cup in Seattle. The mural was created by Shogo Ota, the artist behind Seattle’s official World Cup poster, linking Renton to the region’s global soccer celebration.
Shogo Ota is a Seattle-based artist and graphic designer known for his large-scale murals, poster art, and public installations. Ota blends his Japanese design roots with Pacific Northwest influences to create bold, engaging public art.
“I truly enjoyed installing this mural in Renton, surrounded by such an incredible community and with fantastic support from the team. I’m honored that this mural is now part of Renton’s history and connected to the excitement of the World Cup in the region,” said Shogo.
For more information visit the city’s newsroom on rentonwa.gov/news.
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About the City of Renton
The City of Renton, Washington, with a population of 108,800 (2024), is located on the southeast shore of Lake Washington, just south of Seattle. Renton's strong economic base, diverse marketplace, and favorable business climate have attracted nationally recognized companies wishing to provide employees and their families with an outstanding quality of life. Renton is the home of Boeing, PACCAR, IKEA, Super Bowl Champion (2014) Seattle Seahawks, two-time (2016 & 2019) MLS champion and CONCACAF Champion (2022) Seattle Sounders FC (in 2024), and the eternal resting place of rock icon Jimi Hendrix. You can find more information on our website, news releases, Facebook, Twitter, and Nextdoor pages.