Diary from the States, Day 10 | Between sky and skyscrapers

Seattle woke us with a light drizzle, almost like a touch. The air was crisp, low clouds hung over the city, then slowly gave way to a break of light. The air felt clean, the day clear.

Our first training session in town took place at a massive, state-of-the-art facility. It’s where NFL stars prepare, the home of the Seahawks — where football and soccer, for once, come together. There’s a quiet focus in the air, a sporting rhythm that surrounds everything.

We kept exploring the city today, from the moment we woke up. The market where fish fly through the air between the hands of vendors, the pier that slowly fills with people, the aquarium that seems to speak directly to the ocean — and today, even that was tinged with black and blue.

From atop the Space Needle, Seattle reveals itself for what it is: calm, refined, grounded. You see it from above and it already feels familiar. Our truck moves through the streets, brushing against the city’s green corners, drawing in fans and curious passersby. Some have traveled from Canada, from Italy, from all over the world to be here. And the encounter with Japanese supporters creates new connections. This is football — the kind that brings people together. This is the Club World Cup — the kind that narrows distances.

And then, there’s Lumen Field. You catch glimpses of it in the distance, and once inside, its scale becomes clear. It feels carved into the city itself, with skyscrapers rising just beyond the stands, like they’re growing directly from the pitch. It looks made to host something big, with the skyline watching on as the first row of spectators.

That’s where we’ll be back on the pitch. That’s where our journey continues. We’re ready.