Renton woman surprises mom with Seattle World Cup match tickets
It was the night before Senegal vs. Belgium World Cup match in Seattle when Christina Woon tried to snag two last-minute tickets.
She was determined to take her mom, 71-year-old Heng Woon, to her first professional sports game. All the hype and excitement made Heng become a big fan of soccer over the last couple of weeks, said Christina, 36.
"I was so excited, I couldn't believe it," Heng said. "She didn't tell me until she got it."
From Philadelphia to Los Angeles, the internet is filling up with heartwarming videos of immigrant parents in the World Cup stands. For Christina and many other adult children of immigrants, it's common to watch their parents sacrifice. The World Cup offered a unique chance to give back and treat their parents to a luxury they wouldn't have otherwise taken.
Heng immigrated from China in 1985 and has lived in the Seattle area ever since with her husband and two daughters.
"For the last 10 years I've worked seven days a week," Heng said. She and her husband, along with their daughters, run Common Ground Coffee and Cupcakes in Renton. Heng slowed down after the pandemic and was able to take more time off, but "anything the store needs, I go," she said.
Before the family opened their shop, Christina said, she recalls her mom working as a waitress in a Chinese restaurant, then taking English classes at night.
"She works so hard. Coming here, 41 years ago, barely speaking any English," said Christina, who is a full-time barista and baker at the Renton shop.
The global nature of the event makes it even more memorable for Seattle's immigrant communities. However, it also spotlights trouble for fans from outside of the country who have not been able to travel to U.S. host cities due to travel restrictions amid President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown.
Even so, 2026 World Cup tournament attendance has drawn over 4 million people and counting from within the U.S. and abroad, breaking the 1994 record, the last time the event was hosted in the U.S., according to FIFA.
Heng said hearing people visiting from different countries talk about how cool the stadium is, "it made me want to come see inside."
Weeks of matches had already gone by when Christina thought, "We should do it," she said.
She scoured resale sites and compared prices until she finally found a pair for $470 each, after fees. They were officially transferred to her just a few hours before they had to show up for the noon match Wednesday.
"These are expensive, but it's once in a lifetime. When will we have something at this scale in this city again?" Christina added.
Her sister already had seats with her boyfriend for Monday's anticipated round 16 match between the U.S. and Belgium, which gave Christina all the more reason to try to experience it with her mom. As for her dad, she said, he "doesn't care about sports, she said, laughing. "He's not getting FOMO. (That's 'fear of missing out').
After the match, Christina said watching her mom take photos and videos was endearing.
"There's a Chinese social media app called WeChat, and she was posting on it already in the middle of the game, I had to remind her to post after," she said.
As for who they were rooting for, Christina said they had no real alliances. "It was fun to go in blind and be there for the sport."
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This story was originally published July 7, 2026 at 4:50 PM.