Marshawn Lynch Can't Contain His Hype for the 2026 World Cup

Seahawks icon Marshawn Lynch made a habit of dominating CenturyLink Field (now Lumen Field) week after week, helping lead Seattle to consecutive Super Bowl appearances in 2013 and 2014. Now, he's thrilled to see his beloved stadium become one of 16 venues for the 2026 FIFA World Cup this summer.

Lynch, known as "Beast Mode," intends to attend a few matches, including one in Seattle and another at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.

The five-time Pro Bowler and Super Bowl XLVIII champion has long held a deep appreciation for the other kind of "football," a feeling that was solidified during a trip the Seahawks made back in 2022. The team headed to Munich to take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Allianz Arena—the first NFL regular-season game held in Germany—bringing Lynch along, who was already retired and serving in an off-field capacity. The Seahawks produced a series called "Marshawn Takes Munich," during which Lynch became captivated by the country's soccer culture, learning about Bayern Munich and connecting with players like Leroy Sané and Harry Kane. He discovered the detailed and competitive youth development systems that elite soccer clubs maintain, which earned his deep admiration.

"We went out there and met these soccer guys, just that whole situation of bringing kids from all over the world to Germany to learn underneath their umbrella, their feeder program," Lynch tells Sports Illustrated. "Watching the process of what these guys and girls actually go through to get to that point. I didn't know it was that d--- sophisticated. That whole program is very, very, very f---ing sophisticated."

"At the end of the day, when you look at it, you see all these guys, the Messi's, the Mbappé's, it's like, 'Oh, these guys been doing this s--- since forever and putting in the work," he says. "So for them to be as good as they is compared to everybody else, you know that they putting in some kind of work, and they just special as f---. So knowing that, and then being able to go to the games and seeing it on a big scale here, I'm really excited about the atmosphere."

"And for whatever reason, it just looked like the soccer fans know how to f---ing party."

Soccer in Oakland

Lynch's admiration for the world's most beloved sport started well before the Munich visit, tracing back to his childhood days growing up in Oakland.

"Growing up in Oakland, soccer was something you couldn't escape," he says. "They made us play everything. I think I got my first real taste of soccer with a game we used to play called kickball, but then I went and tried out for one of the little league soccer teams over at Mosswood Park when I was hella young."

"I fell out of reach [of the sport] when the first practice I went to, we ran probably at least, close to like 15 miles. I don't think I'm the right body type," he says with a laugh. "But as an athlete, I for sure can appreciate all aspects of every sport ... I see how f---ing serious that s--- [soccer] is. I think I made the right decision by playing football."

While Lynch may not have personally pursued soccer in Oakland, he has since played a key role in promoting the sport within the community. He co-owns USL Championship club Oakland Roots SC, having joined the ownership group in 2021.

"It came at a very important time in Oakland because we was losing all of our sports teams," he says. "...It was more about cementing myself in the sports culture and Oakland being a part of something new."

"All our fields that is out in Oakland at any time, day or night, you can find a full soccer game going on, so it's always been a part of the city. So I know how important it is to our community."

Ahead of the upcoming World Cup, Lynch teamed up with Lay's to produce a "Bandwagon" commercial campaign designed to encourage new fans to discover and embrace soccer, much like he has. Lynch is most eager to see French superstar Kylian Mbappé, who claimed the 2022 World Cup Golden Boot and is widely expected to shine once again.

"When I'm looking at him, I'm like d---, there's somebody who actually looks like me, and then just seeing how f---ing fast bro was, I'm like, 'Oh yeah, dude is different,'" Lynch says. "That's somebody who I'm really excited to watch."