Inside The Phoenix on Westheimer, soccer fans celebrate as Mexico scores a goal against South Africa in the opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. With Houston serving as a host city for seven World Cup matches, watch parties at restaurants and bars have become a hub for local and international fans alike. Photo by Paola Hoffman, Houston Newsroom.
On Wednesday, June 17th in the mid-afternoon, The Phoenix on Westheimer was filled wall-to-wall with patrons. The bar-goers wore jerseys, sported face paint, and waved flags as they watched the final minutes of the England v Croatia World Cup match.
The match ended in a 4-2 victory for England. When the initial round of cheers faded out, English fans began to sing “Sweet Caroline” by Neil Diamond, then moved on to music by Oasis.
Vu Truong, the owner of The Phoenix, said he knew to anticipate the crowd and the singing.
“[For] the new staff, it’s a little bit overwhelming,” Truong said. “They’re starting to get used to it. […] This is actually not too crazy today.”
The Phoenix promises to show every match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. It is one of many Houston establishments hosting watch parties for the event.
The bar shows soccer matches from various leagues throughout the year, but Truong said the World Cup watch parties can attract a different crowd.
“From the Houston perspective, there are more fans that are not necessarily soccer fans, but they’re just out and about having a good time just embracing the soccer culture,” he said.
Then, he said, there are international travelers.
“Definitely we have seen enough travelers come through,” Truong said. “Even the first day, on Thursday, we had some Germans come straight from the airport, had their luggage. So one of our regulars bought them some drinks.”
Those German visitors, self-described “superfans,” said they were flying in to see Germany play a match in Houston Stadium, renamed from NRG Stadium for the event. This year, Houston is hosting seven World Cup matches at the stadium, serving as one of 16 official FIFA host cities.
Jonathan Tolentino, who frequents The Phoenix, said that the seven matches have made Houston a key destination for international fans.
“Big teams are coming,” Tolentino said. “So it’s just going to be crazy all over town. We’re having foreigners coming in, but it’s all about the culture. Everybody comes here because they love watching football. And right now the World Cup is the biggest event in the world.”
Tolentino had tickets to attend a game at the stadium, which he said wouldn’t have been possible for him if Houston wasn’t the host.
“That’s the beautiful part of it, that it’s gonna be here in Houston, in our hometown, and a lot of people are gonna be able to enjoy that.”
John Downham was at The Phoenix during the World Cup’s opening match. He said he flew in from South Africa to watch the games.
“The vibe and the preparation from the Houston city is amazing, and to be able to experience this with all the different teams and all the different cultures and everything around you, it’s beautiful to experience,” Downham said.
Downham and Tolentino are among many watch party attendees who mentioned the multicultural experience as a highlight of the event.
Robert Johnstone, who moved to Houston from Britain in 1991, said the passion shared by the crowd creates new, global connections.
“I get to have a drink, get to sit with my friends, but also I get to make new friends,” he said. “I see people around me who are having fun, and it brings it into me too. And the best thing about it is there’s people from everywhere.”
At a table by one of the outdoor televisions, Pepe Leal sat with a group of brothers he only just met at Houston Stadium hours prior. He shared a similar sentiment to Johnstone.
“This World Cup is fantastic because it brings you a world environment,” Leal said. “It’s not Houston, it’s not Texas, it’s not USA. It’s the whole world.”
The four brothers at the table had a large flag with them reading “no era penal.” Translating to “it wasn’t a penalty,” the slogan refers to a referee decision during the 2014 World Cup, when Mexican fans felt a controversial penalty call led to Mexico losing their match to the Netherlands.
Leal said he had been in attendance at that Mexico v Netherlands match 12 years ago. When he saw the flag, he approached the group.
“They adopted me,” Leal said. “We just met right now and they’re my best friends.”
Edgar Salas, one of the brothers, said that piece of World Cup history is something that Mexican fans continue to bond over.
“12 years later, we’re still connecting over it, right?” he said.
Both Salas and his brother Omar Salas said they were visiting from out of town. Truong said travel like that was nothing new.
“For us, it’s kind of neat in that we’ve been supporting the soccer culture,” he said. “And to finally see that the rest of Houston and even across the world has recognized us as a spot to go to watch these games, having some reporters from around the world come by just to see the vibe and interview other travelers, it’s definitely exciting.
“Soccer does bring a lot of tourism, for sure.”
Despite owning a bar that caters to it, Truong said soccer tourism is not his personal style.
“I like to travel, but I tend not to go when there’s huge crowds,” he said. “I actually prefer to travel on off seasons.”
Still, Truong said he understands why watch parties draw fans in.
“These people, they like to go crazy,” he said.