McAllen sets first World Cup watch party Thursday at 2 p.m. — Wfaa News
wfaa news: McAllen crews spent Monday setting up the McAllen Convention Center for free FIFA World Cup watch parties, with the first one set for Thursday at 2 p.m. for Mexico against South Africa. The city will show all Team USA and Team Mexico games there, and fans can start arriving two hours before kickoff.
McAllen Convention Center setup
Ana Sofia Chapa, the McAllen Convention Center event coordinator, said the city wants soccer fans across the Valley to come together for the matches. She said, “We know Mexico is our neighbor and the afición is super strong here, and we just know how our Mexico fans are, and we just want to have them here. We know they are going to show up.”
The setup includes a main stage, a giant screen, live music, food trucks and vendors. Chapa also said, “This is a place where you can connect with other people who like the same things as you, in the same teams. We can form a community here, and we can connect with other people,” describing the public viewing space the city is building for the matches.
Yeisi Peña in McAllen
Yeisi Peña, who lives in McAllen, said he plans to attend as many watch parties as he can. “I am a huge fan of the Mexican national soccer team as well as the U.S. team, and I am hoping to see how far we can get with the home turf advantage,” he said.
He said the setting is the closest he can get to being in the stadium. Peña added, “I hope that we get to the semi-finals. I know it's a long shot, but if everything comes out right, the home turf advantage may be that the other teams feel the heat a little bit, and everything comes alright. I think we can have the best World Cup for Mexico,” giving the watch parties a clear draw for fans who want a shared place to follow both national teams.
Free entry at Thursday's match
The events are free, but fans need to bring their own lawn chairs and blankets. For people in the Rio Grande Valley looking for a place to watch, the city is setting up a public space at the convention center for every Team USA and Team Mexico game, starting with Thursday's Mexico-South Africa match at 2 p.m.
