Brace for travel delays as FIFA kicks off in June
Published 1:30 am Tuesday, May 26, 2026
Public safety agencies on Whidbey are preparing for the upcoming FIFA World Cup, but the international soccer tournament’s biggest impacts locally are expected to be travel-related.
“It’s gonna be a busy summer,” John Vezina, deputy executive director of Washington State Ferries, said.
A joint meeting between the Langley, Freeland and Clinton Chambers of Commerce on May 20 allowed Vezina and other officials to inform South End business owners of what to expect when the tournament arrives. Proximity to two of 16 cities hosting matches from June 11 to July 19 means Whidbey could see its own tourism influx.
Six matches will be held in Seattle.
South Whidbey Fire/EMS Assistant Chief Joseph Dilley and Langley Police Chief Tavier Wasser anticipate a noon match between the U.S. and Australia on June 19 — the U.S. team’s only appearance in Washington so far — to draw the largest crowds of the four group-stage contests which are set. That match coincides with Juneteenth celebrations in the city, as well as a 7:10 p.m. Seattle Mariners game at T-Mobile Park, which has a capacity of nearly 48,000.
Wasser noted that significant travel is expected between Seattle and Vancouver, B.C., as scheduling generally makes it feasible for soccer fans to attend games in both cities.
All in all, about 750,000 additional visitors are expected in the Seattle area during the tournament. With only two ways on and off Whidbey — taking the Mukilteo-Clinton ferry and driving over Deception Pass Bridge — travel could be difficult.
Washington State Ferries normally runs 18 of the 21 vessels in its fleet. For the duration of the tournament, however, Vezina said 20 vessels will run and that some will be “over-crewed” to prevent delays when crew members must be replaced on short notice. And, for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic, there will be two-boat service every day on the Port Townsend-Coupeville route beginning June 21, he added.
“Seattle is so expensive now that we hear, anecdotally, a lot of people are staying in Kitsap County and they’ll be taking our boats over to the matches,” Vezina said. “So we’re preparing for that.”
Beyond increased ferry demand, Wasser explained that congestion is expected on Highways 525 and 20, and that certain parking lots in “key locations” could be fuller.
Travel delays are the best-case scenario from Island County Sheriff Rick Felici’s perspective, and he noted there has been no “chatter” about any potential emergencies occurring as a result of tournament tourism.
“Hopefully it turns into a little bit more ferry traffic than we’re used to, and a little bit more revenue than we’re used to,” he said.
