WASHINGTON — Despite the U.S. Men’s National Team’s shocking failure to qualify, the World Cup is motoring right along this summer with celebrations all around the D.C. area. Whether you’re looking for a specific country’s meeting place or just a spot to park out and watch a whole slate of games, we’ve got you covered.
For a look at country-specific watch parties, flip through the slides below, organized by World Cup Groups. Below the gallery is a list of establishments showing every game. If we’ve missed any, feel free to reach out and let us know.
GROUP AEgypt is in its first World Cup in 28 years, and you can watch every game in a festive environment at Fava Pot in Falls Church. Read our full profile here.
We haven’t heard back from the embassy or any restaurants or bars about any official watch parties — let us know if you hear anything.
While Russia House still seems to be celebrating the Stanley Cup, Mari Vanna is running beer specials for the host country’s games. Also, Lucky Bar is offering drink specials “with a Russian twist.”
There’s been no word from the Uruguayan Embassy, and Del Campo has been temporarily displaced, so we haven’t seen anything official for Uruguay in the D.C. area. Let us know if you know of something and we’ll update the list.
(AP Photo/Nariman El-Mofty)
AP Photo/Nariman El-Mofty
GROUP B
After hosting a rousing watch party for Iran’s last-minute, opening game win, Dirty Water will be the place for Team Melli’s games moving forward. Read about how a Boston-themed bar ended up becoming D.C.’s Iran headquarters for the World Cup.
Jose Andres has always celebrated his home country of Spain in the World Cup, and his Jaleo restaurants will be showing games and running specials with their Sangria Hour menu.
The Portuguese Club of Manassas will be gathering to watch Portugal at the community center (9509 Lee Court, Manassas, Virginia), where all are welcome.
If you’re looking for a place to cheer on Morocco, Mazagan (2901 Columbia Pike, Arlington, Virginia) will have watch parties, but they’ve been scant on details.
(Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)
Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images
GROUP C
We haven’t heard anything from the Embassy of France or any of the French restaurants in town.
If you can believe it, there is no official Australia watch party central, per the embassy. Socceroo fans will have to mix in at one of the generic watch sites.
Wilson Hardware (2915 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, Virginia) hosted Peru’s first game, along with catering from the Peruvian Brothers food truck.
We’ve been told Lucky Bar is Denmark’s unofficial home, but we haven’t seen anything more official than that.
(Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)
Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images
GROUP D
The colors of Argentina are out in full force at El Patio (5420 Randolph Road, Rockville, Maryland) while Malbec Restaurant (1633 17th St. NW) will offer a meeting place in D.C. proper.
The underdogs from Iceland won’t have anything Embassy-sponsored, but all their games will be shown at Ireland’s Four Corners.
While Ambar has been a local headquarters for Croatia in the past, this year’s headquarters for the first game was Church Hall in Georgetown (1070 Wisconsin Ave. NW). UPDATE: Church Hall will also be the site for the quarterfinal game against Russia, July 7 at 1:30 p.m.
The Super Eagles of Nigeria have a local home at Appioo African Bar & Grill (1924 9th St. NW), which hosted a watch party for their opening game.
(Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)
Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images
GROUP E
If any country goes big for the World Cup, it’s Brazil, which is supported for every game at The Grill from Ipanema (1858 Columbia Road NW).
Switzerland has some new representation in Washington with Swiss restaurant Stable (1324 H St. NE), which is running food and drink specials for each group stage game.
First Down Sports Bar (4213 Fairfax Drive, Arlington, Virginia) is the home of the Ticos of Costa Rica, showing each of their games.
We haven’t been able to track down any events for Serbia. Let us know if you hear of anything.
(Photo by Buda Mendes/Getty Images)
Photo by Buda Mendes/Getty Images
GROUP F
The Embassies of Sweden and Germany are hosting a joint watch party on June 23 at The Swedish Residence Garden (weather permitting) that is free and open to the public, but you must register in advance to attend.
For the rest of the German games, Biergarten Haus (1355 H St. NE) has long been a stronghold for defending champs and will once again be a hot spot this summer.
Taco Bamba’s D.C. location (777 I St. NW) will be open for each of El Tri’s games supporting Mexico.
The Korea Foundation has held watch parties for South Korea in the past, but we haven’t heard of anything yet this time around.
(Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images)
Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images
GROUP G
The Embassies of Belgium and England are hosting a combined watch party on June 28 at Wunder Garten (101 First St. NE). If you’re a Brit who doesn’t play well with others, The Queen Vic (1206 H St. NE) will be opening early for all of England’s games. And Belga Cafe (514 8th St. SE) will be open early for Belgium’s games.
The full Panamanian experience will be on display at Esencias Panameñas (3322 Georgia Ave. NW) for each Panama game. Learn more about one of the last remaining pure Panamanian restaurants in the entire country. If you’re out in Maryland, Cazabe Restaurant (9307 Washington Blvd., Jessup, Maryland) will have a watch party for the June 24 game vs. England.
The Embassy of Tunisia isn’t sponsoring anything official. Let us know if you hear of any bars or restaurants that are.
(Photo by Alex Morton/Getty Images)
Photo by Alex Morton/Getty Images
GROUP H
There is a watch party for Japan vs. Senegal at Dacha (1700 7th St. NW) on June 24, but we haven’t found any additional homes for either country’s games.
Colombian Breeze (348 Main St., Gaithersburg, Maryland) isn’t running any particular specials, but they’ll be showing all the Colombia games.
If you know of local home for Poland games, let us know.
(Photo by Gabriel Aponte/Getty Images)
If you’re looking for traditional soccer bars, The Lucky Bar (1221 Connecticut Ave. NW) Open for breakfast seven days a week, is offering food and drink specials with a Russian twist. Mackey’s Public House (the former Laughing Man Tavern at 1306 G St. NW) is open every day at 10 a.m. for games. Meanwhile, Irish chain Fado (808 7th St. NW) has branded itself as “D.C.’s 2018 Cup Headquarters” and will be showing games all month long. Elephant & Castle (900 I St. NW) will open early and show all the games, while their location in Federal Triangle (1201 Pennsylvania Ave. NW) will show all the games once doors open at 11 a.m.
If you’re looking for a slight change of pace, World Cup HQ is a pop-up bar in what used to be The Prospect in the 1200 block of U Street NW.
Looking for something a little more refined? The Fairmont Washington D.C., Georgetown (2401 M St. NW) has set up a Soccer Central, with a wide representation of food from different participating countries, as well as foosball tables.
Want to take your viewing experience outside? Field House DC (1901 First St. SW) is a 42,000- square-foot open-air beer garden with a 20-foot LED screen, food trucks, picnic tables and games set up just across the street on the south side of the still-under-construction Audi Field, which is set to open just as the World Cup closes.
If you’re out in Northern Virginia, Tysons Biergarten, across the street from the Greensboro Metro, at the intersection of Leesburg Pike and Chain Bridge Road, will show all the games on their 17 TVs.
Know of any other spots we should add? Let us know.
Rob Woodfork is WTOP's Senior Sports Content Producer, which includes duties as producer and host of the DC Sports Huddle, nightside sports anchor and sports columnist on WTOP.com.
