SEATTLE — With the USA vs. Australia FIFA World Cup group stage match set for Friday, June 19 – a date that falls on the Juneteenth holiday – Seattle’s local World Cup organizing committee plans to outline how the day will be commemorated in and around match day.
Juneteenth is a federal holiday that commemorates the end of slavery in the United States.
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‘On June 19, 2026, when the USMNT takes the pitch against Australia in Seattle, the world won’t just see a game—they will see the culmination of a journey from freedom and liberation to representation,” the SeattleFWC26 web page reads
“The 19th” uses the global stage of the World Cup to bridge the gap between the historical significance of Juneteenth and the modern excellence of Black soccer players, as well as educate the world on the history and significance of this national holiday,” the page statement continues.
The Seattle FIFA World Cup Local Organizing Committee, SeattleFWC26, is scheduled to host a press conference on Wednesday at the Seattle International Media Center ahead of the June 19 match.
Organizers said the briefing is intended to recognize the significance of Juneteenth.
“Soccer is a game of space and movement. For the Black community, the struggle for “space and movement” has been the defining journey of the last 160 years. On June 19, 2026, when the whistle blows in Seattle, it won’t be for just another Group Stage match. It will be one where they are playing for the ancestors who were denied the right to move, the legends who carved out the pitch, and the kids who will one day own it. On “The 19th,” we play for something greater,” the SeattleFWC26, said ahead of the conference.
“Having thousands of visitors and hundreds of millions of viewers focused on the USMNT in Seattle on Juneteenth is a unique opportunity to educate the world, inspire our community and the next generation of Black soccer players, and benefit Black businesses and cultural organizations,” SeattleFWC26 explained.
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The press conference will include local government officials and representatives from the Juneteenth Matchday Advisory Committee, Black Players for Change, BlackPast.org and the Northwest African American Museum. The event is expected to bring together civic leaders, a former U.S. Men’s National Team player and Seattle-based cultural organizations “to honor Black history, Seattle’s Black community, and the historical significance of the day.”
Scheduled participants include King County Executive Girmay Zahilay; Seattle Mayor Katie B. Wilson; Seattle City Attorney Erika Evans; Marcus Green, SeattleFWC26 Juneteenth Matchday Advisory Committee co-chair; SeattleFWC26 CEO Peter Tomozawa; Tony Sanneh, a former USMNT player; Allen Hopkins Jr., executive director of Black Players for Change; Rep. Jamila Taylor of the 30th Legislative District; Brandon Bird, president and CEO of the Northwest African American Museum; and James Riley, a former Seattle Sounder. BlackPast.org is also listed among participants.
Organizers said the press conference will begin with a match prediction featuring Junior, described as a psychic and adoptable dog from the Seattle Animal Shelter, who will make his pick for the USMNT vs. Australia matchup.
SeattleFWC26 also said Evans, identified as Seattle’s first Black city attorney, will accompany SeattleFWC26 and media for an afternoon excursion to the National African American Museum to see a special exhibit.
The committee said Evans has a personal connection to the exhibition: her grandfather, Lee Evans, won two gold medals at the 1968 Olympics and joined the podium protest for racial justice, and her grandmother helped organize the human rights demonstrations at those Games.
