For the first time in the event’s history, an Indigenous sovereign nation will formally be a part of the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup.
The Puyallup Tribe of Indians is partnering with Pierce County and the city of Tacoma to host a kick-off celebration and fan zone events ahead of matches held in Seattle this summer.
“ The way I expressed this to our membership is that this is innovative. This is the first of its kind. You have an indigenous community that's supporting FIFA soccer. How incredible is that?” said James Rideout, a tribal council member.
On Thursday, Tribal Chairman Bill Sterud, Pierce County Executive Ryan Mello and Tacoma Mayor Anders Ibsen signed a memorandum of understanding, agreeing to host events together.
The tribe acknowledged the partnership with gifts to both Mello and Ibsen.
Mello said the Tacoma fan zone will feature viewing parties, a World Cup parade followed by a fireworks show, traditional dance, song, and drumming during a Coastal Protocol and Powwow, and stick games meant to showcase the heritage of the Puyallup Tribe of Indians.
“ What excites me the most is how these celebrations will put our region's culture and heritage front and center and on the world stage,” Mello said.
The county, in partnership with Visit Tacoma, will also be hiding about 1,000 handcrafted glass medallions and globes around the area for fans to find, similar to Monkeyshines. The pieces will guide finders back to the fan zone, where they can redeem prizes.
The Puyallup Tribe also has a number of businesses, including a chocolate manufacturing company, a seaplane terminal and a golf course. Matt Wadhwani, the CEO of Puyallup Tribal Enterprises, said the tribe wants to bring people in to engage with these businesses, especially during the World Cup.
“The second reason was to really share who we are and our culture and our story of resilience with the world,” Wadhwani said. “Being one of the only urban tribes in the country — when we win, our neighbors win.”
At the signing, Connie McCloud, the Puyallup Tribe’s heritage division manager, spoke about the impact of the tribe’s involvement during the World Cup.
“ Being involved with the World Cup gives us another opportunity to tell our young people the world is out there for you. Don't limit yourself to what's right here. You can be in any other country and be in any other place, and you are still a Puyallup tribal member,” McCloud said.
Festivities on Puyallup land begin on June 12 with a community parade.
