{"id":2979,"date":"2026-06-24T23:38:28","date_gmt":"2026-06-24T23:38:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=2979"},"modified":"2026-06-24T23:38:28","modified_gmt":"2026-06-24T23:38:28","slug":"world-cup-watch-parties-in-san-jose-draw-shockingly-huge-crowds-with-more-on-the-way","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=2979","title":{"rendered":"World Cup watch parties in San Jose draw shockingly huge crowds, with more on the way"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The crowds were so huge at downtown San Jose\u2019s San Pedro Square the second time Mexico\u2019s World Cup match was broadcast on two huge, outdoor screens that O\u2019Flaherty\u2019s Irish Pub reached capacity before the game even began.<\/p>\n

Read more San Jose State ordered to give professor back her job after firing found to be \u201cexcessive\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cWe had 10 security guards, arms locked, because the crowds kept pushing in on top of us,\u201d said David Mulvehill, a partner in O\u2019Flaherty\u2019s and several other restaurants and bars just off Santa Clara Street. \u201cWe had people rush and jump into our patio just to go into the bar.\u201d<\/p>\n

San Pedro Square expected 10,000 fans. Organizers say they drew nearly 25,000 for Mexico\u2019s game vs. South Korea last week.<\/p>\n

Fans belted out more national anthems than caused trouble, but organizers say they\u2019ll be better prepared Wednesday night when Mexico plays again, this time against Czechia at 6 p.m.<\/p>\n

The San Jose Sports Authority is adding at least one more street-spanning screen and extending the outdoor viewing area for an extra block in three directions to spread out the crowd.<\/p>\n

For downtown San Jose, still recovering from the pandemic doldrums that emptied office buildings, World Cup watch parties have ignited shockingly large and remarkably peaceful crowds. San Jose Police, which orchestrated safety planning, said they have responded to only a handful of minor incidents. In the East Bay, fans can watch on big screens at Raimondi Park, Oakland Marriott City Center and NIDO\u2019s Backyard. Thrive City surrounding Chase Center in San Francisco is bustling.<\/p>\n

But San Jose is the epicenter of Bay Area fandom, home to the Earthquakes professional soccer team where locals grew up in the 1970s with \u201cKrazy George\u201d Henderson in the stands riling up the crowds. Some 30 percent of the city\u2019s population \u2014 about 316,000 people \u2014 have soccer-loving Latino roots, most from Mexico.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can never ever underestimate the fan base of Mexico \u2014 the pride and passion they bring,\u201d said John Poch of the San Jose Sports Authority, a nonprofit that brings sporting events to the region. <\/strong>It\u00a0is erecting the extra screens at San Pedro Square and developed an app for fans to find watch parties from San Jose\u2019s Little Saigon to Little Italy, along with restaurants and open parking spots.<\/p>\n

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That should alleviate the number of fans leaning out from the upper decks of the parking garage last week to catch a glimpse of the festivities below. And it should help solve arguably a bigger problem that stymied the owner of the Wagon Wheel Saloon \u2014 clearing a path through the crowd to allow semi trucks in to restock the bar with beer.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you have a pallet of beer kegs and you can\u2019t get in, you\u2019ve got to help them out,\u201d said Sonny Walters, who is re-upping his food and drink orders to every day from two or three times a week during the planned six weeks of World Cup festivities.<\/p>\n

Centering the fan activities in San Pedro Square, Poch said, was a way to \u201creward these restaurants of ours that survived the pandemic and be able to do an event to create vibrancy downtown.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more Fired Alameda baseball coach wants his job back, defends himself at school board meeting<\/a><\/p>\n

Amy Cortes, 22, grew up in San Jose and was part of the San Pedro Square crowd during Mexico\u2019s game last week and plans to be back on Wednesday.<\/p>\n

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\u201cI was having so much FOMO from not being in Mexico, because I have a lot of family over there celebrating,\u201d Cortes said. \u201cSo to have a space here of our own to be able to celebrate is something very, very cool to me.\u201d<\/p>\n

On Monday morning \u2014 a normally quiet day at San Pedro Square market \u2014 the smell of brisket from the Wagon Wheel wafted through the air as fans in soccer jerseys from Paraguay and hijabs from Algeria cheered on Argentina\u2019s Lionel Messi as he scored two goals against Austria, breaking the all-time FIFA World Cup scoring record with a total of 18 goals. Paraguay and Algeria are both playing at the Santa Clara stadium.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s wonderful. It\u2019s very lively. The weather feels great,\u201d said Ryma Mah, 31, who was born in Algeria and raised in Dallas. \u201cEveryone talks to you. The people are very welcoming.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fernando Parra, 31, traveled from San Diego \u201cmostly for the vibes\u201d of the World Cup.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe crowds have been pretty amazing,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s really cool to see the cultures come together.\u201d<\/p>\n

The South Bay staged watch parties in February for the Super Bowl, played at Levi\u2019s stadium, which is also playing host to six World Cup matches, including the U.S. Men\u2019s National Team knock-out match July 1. But San Francisco was the real Super Bowl hub with the NFL Experience festivities headquartered at the Moscone Center \u2014 the only convention center in the region big enough to accommodate it.<\/p>\n

Now the World Cup has put the spotlight on San Jose.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a palpable feeling and energy walking throughout downtown with World Cup festivities and we know that\u2019s only going to grow with the USA match next week,\u201d said Brian Kurtz, CEO of the San Jose Downtown Association.<\/p>\n

San Pedro Square is committed to broadcasting all 104 World Cup matches spanning 39 days. And no matter what time they start, fans will be able to buy a beer at San Pedro Square.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhether it\u2019s 9 o\u2019clock in the morning or 9 o\u2019clock at night,\u201d Mulvehill from O\u2019Flaherty\u2019s said. \u201cWe\u2019ve committed to open for every game.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more Oakland leaders won\u2019t challenge police oversight body\u2019s powers \u2014 for now<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

“The crowds have been pretty amazing,” said Fernando Parra, 31, who traveled to San Jose from San Diego “mostly for the vibes” of the World Cup. “It’s really cool to see the cultures come together.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2978,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2979","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sports"],"yoast_head":"\nWorld Cup watch parties in San Jose draw shockingly huge crowds, with more on the way - Next City Digest<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=2979\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"World Cup watch parties in San Jose draw shockingly huge crowds, with more on the way - Next City Digest\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\""The crowds have been pretty amazing," said Fernando Parra, 31, who traveled to San Jose from San Diego "mostly for the vibes" of the World Cup. 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