Published June 4, 2026 · By Hooligan Sports
Quick answer: For USMNT matches → Long Acre Tavern (American Outlaws NYC’s home base for the summer). For the global, every-nation atmosphere → Football Factory at Legends in Midtown. For European supporters’ clubs → Smithfield Hall in Chelsea. For Argentina and the South American crowd → Boca Juniors Steakhouse in Elmhurst, Queens. For a downtown Village home for football → The Red Lion on Bleecker Street. For free public viewing → the FIFA Fan Festival, which splits between Queens (group stage) and Rockefeller Center (knockouts).
The 2026 World Cup runs June 11 through July 19 across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, and the New York/New Jersey region is the center of it all — hosting eight matches at MetLife Stadium, including the final on July 19. FIFA is temporarily calling the venue “New York New Jersey Stadium,” and it’s the only stadium in the tournament to stage both a Round of 16 and the final. New York is arguably the most soccer-saturated city in America: every nation in the bracket has a built-in fan base on one block or another, from the English supporters’ clubs of Midtown to the Argentine steakhouses of Queens, the most globally diverse borough on earth. Here are the five best places to watch the World Cup in New York City.
Long Acre Tavern
Midtown / Theater District
146 W 47th St, New York, NY 10036
longacrenyc.com
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Long Acre Tavern is the home of American soccer in NYC this summer: American Outlaws NYC has named it the chapter’s home for the World Cup, running send-off and group-stage watch parties here with drink specials and giveaways. It’s a sharp combination of old-timey tavern and modern sports bar a block off Times Square, and — crucially in this city — it actually plays the TV audio for the games, which is harder to find in Manhattan than it should be. Big groups and families are asked to reserve ahead; everyone else packs the bar.
World Cup angle: The American Outlaws NYC home base for the tournament — the place to be when the USA plays, with the Outlaws leading the room.
What’s on the screens year-round: USMNT and USWNT matches, Premier League, Champions League, and a full slate of big American sports.
Best for: USMNT supporters who want to sing with the Outlaws in the heart of Midtown.
Football Factory at Legends
Koreatown / Midtown
6 W 33rd St, New York, NY 10001
phone: 212-967-7792
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If you want the closest thing to a stadium without a ticket, this is it. Football Factory at Legends is widely considered the epicenter of NYC’s soccer community (one of the city’s most widely known soccer-specific bars) — a three-level space across from the Empire State Building, founded by Jack Keane, who helped build New York’s soccer-viewing culture at the long-gone Nevada Smith’s. The walls are covered in memorabilia, the screens number in the dozens, and the room is home to dozens of international supporters’ groups, from Leicester City to the U.S. Bayer Leverkusen crowd. It opens early — 7 a.m. on Saturdays — for overseas kickoffs. Expect a cover charge on marquee match days, and arrive at least an hour early for the big ones.
World Cup angle: The global fan hub of the city, with a different nation packing each room — the spot to experience the World Cup’s full international spread under one roof.
What’s on the screens year-round: Premier League, Champions League, Bundesliga, La Liga, and every major international tournament.
Best for: Fans who want the loudest, most international crowd in NYC, whatever nation they follow.
Smithfield Hall
Chelsea / Flatiron · 138 W 25th St, New York, NY 10001
smithfieldnyc.com
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Smithfield Hall bills itself as the home of English football in New York City, and it has the supporters’ clubs to back it up — a staple for European soccer fans, home to eight supporters’ clubs including Manchester United, West Ham, and the official NYC Barça Peña, which turns the place into a Catalan stronghold on El Clásico day. Two halls, dozens of TVs, an upscale pub menu, and a crowd that treats every match like a cup final. On United and big-tournament days expect a ticketed entry (cover that includes drink tickets) and a packed room well before kickoff.
World Cup angle: The European supporters’-club headquarters of the city, and a strong base for Spain (Barça crowd), England, and marquee knockout matches.
What’s on the screens year-round: Premier League, Champions League, Europa League, Bundesliga, La Liga, plus NFL, MLB, and NBA.
Best for: European-nation supporters who want an organized, club-driven matchday.
Boca Juniors Steakhouse
Elmhurst, Queens · 81-08 Queens Blvd, Elmhurst, NY 11373 · (no website listed — phone: 718-429-2077) Open in Google Maps For Argentina and the South American crowd, the move is Queens. Boca Juniors Steakhouse is dedicated to Argentina’s Club Atlético Boca Juniors — Messi jerseys and blue-and-white decor cover the walls, the kitchen turns out skirt steak and asado, and the room goes electric when Argentina plays. It sits in Elmhurst, in the heart of the most diverse borough in the world, so the soccer atmosphere is the real thing rather than a theme. One practical note for the World Cup: the kitchen opens at 2 p.m. daily, so it’s built for afternoon and evening kickoffs rather than early-morning European nights. World Cup angle: Albiceleste headquarters in Queens — steak, jerseys, and a passionate South American room for every Argentina match. What’s on the screens year-round: Argentina internationals, Liga Profesional and Boca matches, and major tournaments. Best for: Argentina supporters and anyone who wants their soccer with a proper Queens parrilla.
The Red Lion
Greenwich Village
151 Bleecker St, New York, NY 10012
redlionnyc.com
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For everyone watching downtown, The Red Lion has been a Village home for football for years — a lively Bleecker Street pub with 10-plus HD screens, a full kitchen running all day, weekend bottomless brunch from 10 a.m., and live music after the final whistle. It opens early on match days and runs walk-ins only, so the trade-off for the easy downtown access is getting there before kickoff for the big games. It’s a far easier trip than MetLife and a genuine pub atmosphere south of 14th Street.
World Cup angle: A reliable downtown World Cup room, showing every televised fixture group stage through the final, with post-match live music.
What’s on the screens year-round: Premier League mornings, Champions League nights, and major internationals.
Best for: Fans staying downtown who want every match, all-day food, and a Village pub atmosphere.
