Watch parties, tickets, traffic! What to know as Seattle hosts Belgium vs. Senegal World Cup match

>The Emerald City will host its fifth FIFA World Cup match on Wednesday at 1 p.m. as Belgium and Senegal face off in the Round of 32.

>A fun fact: the two teams will be meeting for the first time ever when they face off in Seattle’s knockout match, with the two sides having never previously played each other in any competition.

Tickets to the matchIf you want to attend the match, there are several last-minute tickets still available. As of around 3 a.m. Wednesday, Ticketmaster had a few tickets left, ranging from $645 to $729. Gametime also had several tickets available, one as low as $513. The most expensive we found was around $2,300, but it’s a great seat at the 50-yard line, close to the field and team benches.

Watch partiesThere are plenty of options to watch the game in Seattle surrounded by other soccer fans without breaking the bank, too!

>Find watch parties at Westlake Park, Occidental Park, downtown bars, Victory Hall, Pacific Place, and the mural amphitheater near the Space Needle.

>Pier 62 is also an option if you already have a registration ticket, though they are sold out as of this morning. There are still tickets available for the Sounders barge at $52 bucks a piece. The screens on the pier and barge are both pretty large, so you can watch from the Salish Steps as well for free.

TrafficAs a reminder, if you’re driving today, you will want to avoid Pioneer Square. If you need to drive around, use Alaskan Way or 4th Avenue South.

>A good portion of the area will be closed off to cars, but there are zones for public transportation, including electric bikes and scooters.

>With hundreds of thousands of fans in town for the World Cup, Sound Transit says ridership is way up. The agency has been asking fans to take the light rail to the stadium, and people are listening!

>They say five million people used light rail in June — an all-time record.

>Sound Transit says they’re making a few changes to keep up with demand: More train cars will be running, and hours will be extended. The agency said they hope to look at these improvements to see if they can be used during future events.

>“The last time the U.S. hosted a World Cup, there were no trains in Seattle, and now we can move more than 200,000 people day in and day out, because of the preparation and investment we as a region have made in mass transit,” said a spokesperson for Sound Transit.

>Sound Transit says if you can, use public transportation when heading to World Cup matches and leave early to avoid peak crowds.

Team USA matchOn Monday, Seattle will host our sixth and final World Cup match.

>If Team USA beats Bosnia and Herzegovina tonight, they’ll return to Seattle for their Round of 16 matchup, so expect many hopeful USA fans to be gathered together and holding their breath at watch parties across Seattle on Wednesday at 5 p.m., as well.

>For more World Cup in Seattle coverage, visit: kiro7.com/connecttothecup.