I was delighted by the news that Miami will be one of the hosts of the 2026 World Cup. Even if you don’t buy tickets to the games, you will be able to partake of the atmosphere, as fans from four countries will come to South Florida and gather in our bars.
In 1994, the last time the U.S. hosted the event, I traveled to Orlando to write color stories for the Sun-Sentinel. I remember grumblings then about The City Beautiful getting the games instead of Miami, which counted more soccer fans among its population. But Orlando’s advantage over Miami, at least for a feature writer, was that the celebrations were very concentrated; every evening Belgians, Mexicans, Irish, and Dutch filled the bars of Church Street Station. (You knew the first three by their national colors, the last by their height.) Here, fans – from what four countries we don’t yet know – will be spread out all over the city – South Beach, North Beach (especially if we get Argentina), Coral Gables, Wynwood – and even the region. Las Olas restaurants will hang big screens, and Pompano Beach (if Brazil plays here) will be buzzing.
I’ll probably spend my time in Coral Gables, where games are regularly shown on the pedestrian part of Giralda Avenue and at Fritz & Franz Bierhaus, which has a large terrace on Merrick Way. It was here that the mayors of Miami and Miami-Dade gathered yesterday to hear the news that their home will be a host.
