How Did Seattle Win Its Bid to Host the 2026 FIFA World Cup?

Monday, May 8, 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.
Pigott Auditorium
Register here

How do host cities become the chosen venues for major sporting events like the Olympics and the World Cup? How did Seattle win its bid to be a host city for the FIFA World Cup in 2026?

It takes multiple years of preparation, collaboration and teamwork to mount a successful pitch. There are key differences in pitching for the Olympics versus the World Cup. These are just some of the topics Peter Tomozawa, CEO of SEA 26, the local organizing committee tasked with preparing Seattle for  2026, will talk about on May 8 at the Albers Executive Speaker Series.

The FIFA World Cup is arguably the biggest sporting event in the world, watched by one billion people across the globe. It's 14% bigger than the Olympics in audience size and six times the size of the Super Bowl's 175 million viewers. Seattle will be hosting four, up to six, games in Seattle, said Tomozawa in a February press conference. The economic impact on the city is huge, but he wants it to be more than that. "Our legacy will be community, culture, and children," he said at the press conference. "We want to create a memory that people will remember for decades."

About Peter Tomozawa

Peter Tomozawa is no stranger to sports and international events. As an owner of Sounders FC, he served four seasons as its President of Business Operations. In 2016, he was selected by the LA 2024/2028 Exploratory Committee as Vice President and Executive Director of Partnerships and Board Relations. His work and that of his colleagues in managing relationships with institutional partners and board members was valuable in Los Angeles winning its bid to host the 2028 Summer Olympic Games and Paralympics.

In addition to his work with Sounders FC and the Los Angeles Olympic bid, Tomozawa is a minority owner of the Las Vegas Golden Knights in the National Hockey League and Welsh Club Swansea City of the English Football League. He previously served as a partner and Global Head of Foreign Exchange Sales at Goldman Sachs, where he worked for 17 years, before transitioning into civic affairs for the state of Hawaii. 

In the latter role, Tomozawa served as Executive Director of Business Development & Advisor to the Mayor of the City and County of Honolulu, in addition to working as Vice Chair & Commissioner of Charter Schools for the State of Hawaii Department of Education.

Event details

Since 2002, the Albers School of Business and Economics has organized the Albers Executive Speaker Series, live panels featuring top business leaders from the Puget Sound Area. Guests talk about a topic of their choice and respond to questions from a panel and the audience. The Speaker Series is yet another way Albers is committed to build student connections with the Seattle business community.

The Albers Executive Speaker Series is free and open to the public. Register to save your seat, ask questions for Peter Tomozawa and be e-mailed any updates on the event.