Finding the right bar to watch world cup football separates the real fans from the people who give up after the group stages. We spent weeks identifying the bars — in New York, London, and beyond — that have the screens, the atmosphere, and the crowd worth sharing a tournament run with. These are the ones that deliver when it matters most.
The Best World Cup Bars in New York
New York's football culture has grown into something genuinely serious. The right bars now open at 8am for European kickoffs, pour pints to an international crowd, and fill well before the first whistle. Here are the New York bars where the tournament comes alive.
01
Kingsbridge Alehouse
Riverdale, Bronx$$Proper Pub Atmosphere
Fourteen screens across two floors, an Irish ownership that takes football seriously, and a crowd that shows up in replica kits. Kingsbridge opens at 7am during World Cup group stage matches and runs pint specials through the tournament. The upstairs room fits 80 people and has the kind of communal energy that makes stoppage-time goals unforgettable. Book ahead — they sell out for any England or US fixture.
Order: Guinness on draught, chicken wings at half-time
02
Football Factory at Legends
Midtown West$$High-Volume / Loud
One of the few dedicated football bars in Manhattan with 40-plus screens and official supporter group partnerships. Every major football nation has a fan club that congregates here during World Cup campaigns. The noise levels at peak moments are extraordinary. Not a place for a quiet drink — come ready to shout at the screen alongside several hundred people who care as much as you do.
Order: House lager, loaded nachos
03
The Dubliner NYC
Murray Hill$$Traditional / Reliable
A genuine Irish pub that treats football with the reverence it deserves. Six large screens, early morning opens, and a kitchen that runs proper breakfast during early kickoffs. The crowd skews Irish and British expat, which means actual knowledge of the sport and zero tolerance for people asking what offside means. Gets to standing room by 10am for any match involving the home nations.
Order: Full Irish breakfast with a Bloody Mary for early kickoffs
The complete New York sports bar guide
Every sports bar in the five boroughs ranked by screen count, atmosphere, and which games they show. 24 listings across all neighbourhoods.
London has no shortage of places to watch football, but the World Cup requires a bar that can handle the scale of a full-capacity crowd during knockout rounds. These are the London venues where the atmosphere earns its reputation.
04
Boxpark Wembley
Wembley$$Large Format / Outdoor
An outdoor screen the size of a small building, surrounded by street food vendors and bars serving cold lager at competitive prices. Boxpark Wembley holds 2,500 people and during England knockout matches, the energy rivals the stadium itself. Come 90 minutes early if you want a spot near the main screen. Dress for the weather — there's no shelter when it rains, and it will rain.
Order: Whatever is fastest to order — you won't want to leave your spot
05
The Fox & Hound Shoreditch
Shoreditch$$Football-Forward Pub
A football pub that happens to be in Shoreditch rather than a Shoreditch bar that shows football. The distinction matters enormously. Three projection screens, a sound system calibrated for crowd noise, and staff who won't try to turn the volume down when the pub fills. Pre-match atmosphere from the first minute; post-match drinks until the early hours on big nights.
Order: Peroni on tap, match-day burger
06
The Prince of Peckham
Peckham$Community Pub / Authentic
South London's best community pub and one of the most genuine places to watch football in the city. The Prince of Peckham shows World Cup matches on its roof terrace when the weather cooperates, and the crowd represents the full global spread that makes the tournament worth watching. Affordable drinks, no-nonsense service, and regulars who know their football.
Order: Carib lager, jerk chicken from the kitchen
Weekly editorial
The bars worth going to, weekly.
One email per week. The bars our editors are recommending right now, across 60 cities worldwide.
Free. Unsubscribe anytime.
More Great World Cup Viewing Venues
Outside New York and London, the tournament takes hold in cities with deep football cultures of their own. Chicago's Irish quarter, Miami's Latin American fan base, and the dedicated supporter bars of every major city offer something different from the tourist-facing options. Here are the bars worth travelling for.
07
McNally's Tap Room
Wrigleyville, Chicago$$Irish Pub / Early Opens
A Chicago institution that transforms for every World Cup. McNally's opens at 6am during early European kickoffs and draws an Irish-American crowd that follows the tournament with genuine intensity. Eight screens, two dedicated satellite feeds, and a breakfast menu designed for early-morning football. The bar staff know the offside rule and can hold a conversation about the Group of Death over a pint.
Order: Smithwick's on draught, full breakfast
08
La Ventana Miami
Little Havana, Miami$$Latin Football Culture
Miami's Latin American football culture is unlike anywhere else in the US, and La Ventana sits at the centre of it. The bar is standing-room for any South American national team match and fills to capacity for Brazil and Argentina fixtures. The crowd sings. Flags come out. The emotional investment makes Premier League viewing feel restrained by comparison. One of our editors genuinely cried here during a penalty shootout in 2022.
Order: Presidente beer, Cuban sandwich
09
The Cock & Bull
Santa Monica, Los Angeles$$British Expat Pub
LA's premier British football pub, packed with English and Australian expats who treat every World Cup as a sacred obligation. The Cock and Bull opens early, serves proper English breakfast, and has a screen in every corner. The crowd is genuinely knowledgeable — you won't hear anyone calling it soccer — and the collective suffering or jubilation during knockout rounds is an experience in itself.
Order: John Smith's or Boddingtons on tap, full English
10
St. Patrick's Alehouse
Boston, Back Bay$$Football-First Irish Pub
Boston has one of the most passionate Irish expat communities in the US, and St. Patrick's Alehouse is where they watch football. The pub holds 120 people across its main bar and function room, both equipped with projection screens. For Ireland matches, you need a reservation. For England matches, so do you — the Irish-American rivalry is alive and well here, and the banter is entirely good-natured.
Order: Guinness, toasted sandwich
The complete sports bars guide
Every occasion, every city. Our global sports bar directory covers 60 cities and every major league and tournament.
Not every sports bar holds up for a two-hour World Cup match. The ones that work have a few things in common: early opening hours that accommodate European kickoffs, multiple screens so you're never behind a pillar, a crowd that turns up before the match rather than at half-time, and staff who treat the tournament with the same seriousness as the regulars. Sound levels matter too — a World Cup bar should be loud enough that a last-minute goal produces a physical reaction, not just polite applause.
Our recommendation: always book ahead for knockout matches, arrive at least 30 minutes before kickoff, and check in advance whether your chosen bar is showing the specific game you want. During group stages with simultaneous kickoffs, not every screen shows the same match.
Best bars for watching the Champions League
Our editors' picks for the best bars to watch European club football, from New York to London to Barcelona.
