What we learned from FIFA World Cup 2026 and our June Community Convening
The events in June and so far, in July, were a lesson in engagement, community and celebration with our neighbors across the globe!
An estimated 580,000 came to Downtown Seattle for the June 19th match United States against Australia and anticipated even more for the US/Belgium match* (Downtown Seattle Association, 2026)! The energy was palpable and the joy of the world coming together over the love of football (soccer) was felt throughout the region with active watch parties throughout King County. The PNW celebrated with the world, and we were so proud to host just a part of the FIFA World Cup experience. It was a great reminder that when we gather as humans to celebrate a shared love of sports and community, people feel it. The joy of competition and the shared experience of being in a crowd of humans all gathered to cheer on their team and connect to each other brought a level of excitement around our region that we haven’t seen in a long time. Even with the US now out of the competition, we are all staying engaged and picking our new teams.
Also in June, Leadership Eastside’s CORE Experience class of 2026 gathered a cross-sector group of over 50 leaders to convene around a question:
In times of intensified political and financial pressures, how might public, private and nonprofit organizations explore building and strengthening cross-sector partnerships to support the region?
Exploring what is working today, where gaps exist and what might be possible, the cohort guided the group through questions and collected data. While it never surprises us here at Leadership Eastside, it’s always powerful to be reminded that across every table and sector the one message that emerged was “Our community’s greatest asset is the relationships that connect us.”
Below you can see the infographic of the data gathered and shared by the cohort. I want to thank the CORE Experience class who did a phenomenal job of designing and facilitating this event. They did a great job identifying community members and inviting them as well as capturing data that we could share with you. Congratulations to the class on your hard work and your graduation!
Leadership Eastside has long held the belief that by convening leaders and asking the hard questions, our region can address any issue and change the structures in service of all who live, work and play here. This conversation was a reminder, along with the impact of the gathering of hundreds of thousands of fans, joining in community, with the shared passion of celebrating soccer and the competition of the World Cup matches, that our work continues. We will continue to build relationships and convene these key conversations to remind us that all together, we have both the passion and the capacity to solve the most complex issues we face.
Thank you for joining us in June, and we look forward to our next opportunity to gather and connect!
In community,
Jeni
