World Cup Matches Drive Record Transit Ridership

6/18/2026

Photos by Sound Transit.

World Cup matches are generating record-setting ridership for public transportation agencies across North America, underscoring transit’s central role in moving fans safely and efficiently during one of the world’s largest sporting events.

In Washington, approximately 210,000 passengers boarded Sound Transit’s Link light rail to Seattle Stadium on June 15 for the Egypt vs. Belgium match. Preliminary numbers show the day as the third-highest ridership day in Link history, behind the recent Seattle Seahawks Super Bowl parade and the opening of the Crosslake Connection.

The agency expects even more fans to ride Link for the June 19 USA vs. Australia match. To meet demand, Sound Transit is deploying a record number of light rail vehicles as well as ambassadors and security personnel to keep people moving safely.

“Monday’s ridership shows the value of light rail as the backbone of our world class transit system,” said Sound Transit CEO Dow Constantine. “These numbers reflect the extensive preparation we and our partners put into World Cup, and we look forward to more record ridership as the tournament continues.”

In Vancouver, TransLink’s preliminary data shows more than 1.03 million boardings on June 13 for the Australia vs. Turkey match at BC Place. The total marks the busiest Saturday ridership for a BC Place Stadium event since the 2010 Winter Olympics. Compared to a typical day, on match day, SkyTrain carried 447,000 boardings, up 25 percent; SeaBus carried 24,500 boardings, up 37 percent; and bus boardings rose nearly 7 percent to 558,000.

The San Francisco Bay Area also saw record-breaking ridership through a coordinated network of VTA, BART, Caltrain, Altamont Corridor Express, and Capitol Corridor. Combined, the agencies carried more than 37,000 passengers to and from the opening match at San Francisco Bay Area Stadium on June 13.

The ridership records come as 26 public transit agencies in 11 U.S. host cities have expanded service, strengthened safety and security, upgraded infrastructure and coordinated operations for the “mega” event. APTA President and CEO Paul P. Skoutelas said the World Cup “is a chance to showcase the strength of America’s public transportation network on a global stage.”