FIFA president raves about the ‘soul’ of Lumen Field

RENTON — Gianni Infantino has visited countless soccer stadiums during his time as FIFA president. That includes some of the oldest and most technologically advanced sports facilities in the world. After touring Lumen Field during a two-day visit of Seattle, Infantino was impressed.

“It’s a great arena, it’s a clearly special arena,” Infantino said during a brief media availability while he was at the Sounders’ Longacres training facility on Tuesday. “It has a soul, a heart, you can feel that in some stadiums. It was empty so I can’t imagine what it will be like when it’s full.”

While this was the first time Infantino has visited Seattle, it probably won’t be his last. In addition to hosting six matches during the 2026 Men’s World Cup, next summer there will be six more matches in Seattle during the Club World Cup. That will include three Sounders group stage matches as well as three more matches.

This week’s visit was designed to allow Infantino and other FIFA delegates to familiarize themselves with the facilities and for local officials to meet him.

Among those who received Infantino was Sounders majority owner Adrian Hanauer, who had been lobbying FIFA to host Club World Cup games virtually ever since it was announced that the United States would be hosting.

Hanauer is well aware of the opportunity — and challenge — it all poses.

“I’m not sure I could put anymore pressure on myself than I do everyday, I think I would implode,” Hanauer said. “I put every ounce of blood, sweat, tears, heart into doing right by these teams and the fans. I don’t know that I can do anymore.

“For sure there is pressure. I want to perform. I want to do well. I want to make the city proud. I want to make our fans proud. But it’s not going to be for additional pressure, it’s just because every waking moment it’s all I think about.”

Other notes

• Hanauer confirmed that the Sounders will bring in temporary grass for the Club World Cup, but noted “it will be of higher quality than previous sod installations.” The grass will then be removed after the tournament before getting replaced by a more “permanent” grass ahead of the 2026 World Cup, which will also be removed almost immediately after that competition.
• Grass won’t be the only change coming to Lumen Field. Hanauer said they will need to widen the pitch and tweak some of the other premium areas of the stadium.