{"id":548,"date":"2026-06-18T11:09:42","date_gmt":"2026-06-18T11:09:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/modernhomejournals.com\/?p=548"},"modified":"2026-06-18T11:09:42","modified_gmt":"2026-06-18T11:09:42","slug":"d-c-lost-out-on-the-world-cup-these-local-bars-are-winning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/modernhomejournals.com\/?p=548","title":{"rendered":"D.C. Lost Out on the World Cup. These Local Bars Are Winning."},"content":{"rendered":"
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The D.C. area may not be an official part of the World Cup this summer, but as games begin, there are plenty of local venues vying to act as unofficial hosts.<\/p>\n

Read more Why Was D.C. Slow to Report Results on Election Night?<\/a><\/p>\n

The District\u2019s diehards can still travel to Philadelphia, Boston or even farther afield to catch a match. But with tickets alone going for hundreds of dollars<\/u><\/span>, fans who have to stay closer to home will be well served by the area\u2019s bars and event spaces.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s sad for the nation\u2019s capital that we\u2019re not hosting a game here, but it is what it is,\u201d said Patrick Doody, a manager at Ireland\u2019s Four Courts in Arlington. \u201cIf you can\u2019t afford that expensive ticket, you can come down to your neighborhood pub.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

The sidelined setup may actually be preferable to hosting official games, which nets millions in tourism revenue but can run a city more than $100 million<\/u><\/span> in infrastructure upgrades and public safety costs. Games would also funnel fans into larger venues rather than local joints, said Brandon Bayton, who directs strategy for Wunder Garten in Northeast D.C.<\/p>\n

Instead, he said, \u201cneighborhoods are actually working to bring their communities together.\u201d<\/p>\n

Local bars, many of which are partnering with embassy groups or sports organizations to host events, are seeing a surge in business around games. More than an hour before last week\u2019s opening match between Mexico and South Africa, every table at Ireland\u2019s Four Courts \u2014 recently dubbed \u201cAmerica\u2019s best soccer bar\u201d<\/u><\/span> \u2014 was full. Camilo Zarate, a Colombia fan and recent D.C. transplant, said he and his friends arrived hours in advance to secure a table, as well as a discounted bucket of hard seltzers.<\/p>\n

On the same afternoon, 200 people showed up to Penn Social to see Mexico earn a 2-0 win.<\/p>\n

\u201cInterest is through the roof,\u201d said Rob Hess, Penn Social\u2019s manager. \u201cIt provides a huge opportunity to expand hours of operation and host some really fun events.\u201d<\/p>\n

The local schedule also features \u201cofficial\u201d events. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser anointed D.C. United as hosts for the city\u2019s designated watch parties.<\/u><\/span> This weekend, the MLS team is hosting free screenings featuring food vendors, D.J. sets and youth soccer games.<\/p>\n

Read more Americans Can\u2019t Afford Not to Sell Their Plasma<\/a><\/p>\n

Another official watch spot is a fan zone on the National Mall, co-hosted by FIFA and the Trump-created group Freedom 250<\/u><\/span>. Some bar managers are worried that the fan zone could divert some business, but summer temperatures might keep fans indoors.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m thinking of going,\u201d said David Cuerva, a Guadalajara native who was watching Mexico at Ireland\u2019s Four Courts last week. \u201cBut not today, it\u2019s too hot.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

Cuerva is one of the lucky lottery winners who scored tickets to a game: He and his wife paid $800 for two tickets to see France play Norway in Boston next week. Cuerva, who has lived in Arlington for five years, was disappointed but not surprised to learn that D.C. wouldn\u2019t host a game.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have a team, D.C. United, but still \u2014 I think there\u2019s a lot of development [that has] to happen to really build a true soccer ambience,\u201d Cuerva said.<\/p>\n

Zarate and his friends tried to get tickets through the lottery, but lost out. Tickets on the secondary market were prohibitively expensive, he said, but as the first game kicked off, the group was happy to be camped out in the cool air-conditioning at their local bar.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s sad. [D.C.] is one of the most beautiful cities in the U.S. and it has a mix of every single culture, so it would have been good,\u201d said Zarate.<\/p>\n

FIFA\u2019s decision in 2022 to pass over<\/u><\/span> D.C. and Baltimore\u2019s joint bid to be host cities raised eyebrows: It\u2019s only the third time in World Cup history a game has not been hosted in a country\u2019s capital city.<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course, you would love to be a host city,\u201d said Samantha Ward, a spokesperson for D.C. United. \u201cWe\u2019re still very excited to play a part in this, and to be able to provide a platform to bring the game to the community of the DMV.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more Zohran Mamdani and AOC\u2019s Split Endorsements Are Raising Eyebrows<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The District may not be hosting any games this summer, but its snub could be a victory for area venues.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":547,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-548","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-metro"],"yoast_head":"\nD.C. Lost Out on the World Cup. These Local Bars Are Winning. - Modern Home Journals<\/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:\/\/modernhomejournals.com\/?p=548\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"D.C. Lost Out on the World Cup. 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