World Cup watch parties draw Colorado’s international communities

On Thursday, June 11, more than 2,500 people gathered at McGregor Square in downtown Denver to watch the opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup on a 66-foot wide by 20-foot high outdoor screen. As Mexico and South Africa took the field, fans from both countries erupted in cheers, transforming the plaza into a celebration of the tournament’s global reach. 

“I was trying to get together with some friends, and I saw that McGregor Square announced that they were going to have some FIFA World Cup matches here for free,” said Abraham Barrera, a Mexico native who works as a realtor in the Denver area. “So I decided to just get together and come down.” 

Though Colorado will not host any FIFA World Cup matches, watch parties have been organized across the state, as fans seek to recreate the tournament atmosphere thousands of miles from the action. From downtown Denver plazas to international churches and neighborhood bars, the gatherings have become more than opportunities to watch soccer — they are places where immigrant communities can get together and celebrate their nationalities. 

“It’s amazing to see our community come together, especially during World Cup times,” Barrera said. “Being able to do it outdoors like this and with McGregor Square supporting it is amazing.”

Though most of the fans present at the event supported Mexico, reflecting Colorado’s large Mexican community, a handful of South Africans also turned out to support their team.

“We miss home,” said Connie Mahlaule, who moved from South Africa and now works as a manager for a mining company in Colorado. “It means a lot to be with soccer fans.”

Despite being a minority among a predominantly Mexican crowd, the South African fans still appreciated the event’s atmosphere. 

“You meet people, and the people are so friendly, you bond, and it’s amazing,” said Selvin Naidoo, another South African native at the event. “Football is a beautiful game.” 

McGregor Square organized the event and called it a success. 

“In terms of organization, we have been very surprised by the turnout,” said Brooke Bishop, McGregor Square’s chief operating officer. “We kind of went into it a little bit blind, not knowing what to expect in terms of crowds. So we’ve been very blown away with it.”

The plaza already hosted watch parties for other sports, such as hockey and basketball. Organizers said World Cup screenings were a natural extension of those events. 

“The World Cup is a huge thing, obviously, for everyone in the world,” Bishop added. “So it would be silly of us not to host them. I do think we consider ourselves the premier sports-watching venue outside of stadiums in the city of Denver. No one has a screen anywhere close to as big as ours. The space was definitely made for this. And so I think it was just such a great opportunity.”

Besides being surprised by the turnout, Bishop also noticed that the event became an opportunity for international communities to get together in Denver. 

“It’s just interesting to see how different people from different cultures interact with one another and interact with sports,” she said. “I think sports is sort of the unifying thing between all countries.”

She also said that the U.S. match watch party the following day had double the number of fans. This has led the organization to plan changes for future watch parties.

“We are actually gonna switch to do ticketed events for U.S. and Mexico (matches) moving forward,” she said. “Really, that’s a safety thing. We want people to feel comfortable in this space. We don’t want there to be so many people over here you can’t move.”

The next Mexico watch party at McGregor Square will be held on Thursday, June 18, at 7:00 p.m. The next United States match is on Friday, June 19, at 1:00 p.m. Tickets for both events are priced at $23.18. McGregor Square expects to receive over 100,000 soccer fans throughout the tournament, which runs until Sunday, July 19. 

Smaller international communities also gathered across the state to watch their national teams. On Saturday, June 13, dozens of Brazilians gathered at New Generation Brazilian Church in Aurora to watch their national team play against Morocco. Though the crowd was much smaller than the one gathered at McGregor Square, the cheering was just as intense.

“The Brazilian community in Colorado is relatively small, and so we felt like it’d be cool to have an environment where everyone could cheer for Brazil together, as a family,” said Cleber Viana, a Brazilian fan who organized the event. 

According to Viana, for Brazilians, soccer is more than just a sport. 

“The World Cup is a special event for Brazilians,” he said. “Especially because it reminds us of our childhood. We grew up watching matches with our parents, so it’s a moment of national pride.”

The following day, Sunday, June 14, Colorado’s German community gathered at Prost Brewing Company, in Highlands Ranch, to support their team’s matchup against Curaçao. Organized primarily by the German American Chamber of Commerce, the event led dozens of Germans to attend and watch their national team — along with plenty of beer. 

“It’s good to watch along with our country fellows,” said Gwok-Hou Cheunga, originally from Berlin. 

“The beer even tastes better,” added Mark Daniel Seel, from Frankfurt. 

Cheunga said that during soccer events, he sees Germans in Colorado come together the most.

“Some people here you only meet for European Cups or World Cups,” he said. “I say, ‘Oh, I haven’t seen you for two years since the last European Cup.’ The Denver area is not that big, so it’s sometimes hard to meet, but then at such an event, all people can gather together.”

As Germany cruised to a 7-1 win over Curaçao, beer flowed throughout the gathering. 

“Germans are always looking for reasons to drink, so that is a good reason for us,” Cheunga said.

For some immigrants living in the United States, including those facing travel restrictions, these watch parties offer a sense of home and connection through soccer. 

“Overall, just being able to get together and have unity again,” Barrera said. “It’s a little bit like being in Mexico. The culture, the way we grew up, our grandparents, our parents, just bringing us together in their household to watch these games.”

Other Denver metro area World Cup watch parties fans can attend are: 

• Bierstadt Lager, on Blake Street in Denver, hosts World Cup watch parties every day. Fans can check the match schedule and get free tickets here. 
• Mission Ballroom Plaza in the North Wynkoop Entertainment District is going to be screening nearly every match during the World Cup. Learn more here.
• Number 38 Patio on Chestnut in Denver is hosting screenings of some World Cup matches. The next event will be a screening of Mexico vs. South Korea on Thursday, June 18. Fans can RSVP for free here.
• Soccer Celebration at Skyline Park, presented by the Colorado Rapids, is held at Denver’s Skyline Park Block and includes watch parties for each World Cup match. Fans can get a free access pass here.
• The Sie FilmCenter in Denver, which is the city’s only indie movie theater, is showing select World Cup games. Reserve your ticket here.
• The matches are also being screened in AMC Theatres locations throughout Denver. Tickets are $12-15, and you can learn more here.