CLIFTON, Colo. (KJCT) -The 2026 World Cup features 48 countries competing for the trophy, with people around the world cheering on their teams. Some are cheering in person at the stadium, while others are tuning in at home.
Monarca Taqueria & Cantina hosted a watch party for a Mexico match. Iris Gutierrez, lead server at the restaurant, said soccer holds special significance for many in the community.
“I know for Mexicans soccer is very big. I mean we all kind of grew up either with our family members watching it or if you’re really into it yourself,” Gutierrez said.
The tournament is in North America this year, bringing a different feeling for some having it so close to home.
“It’s pretty exciting. It’s pretty cool. You know, I guess we’re used to seeing the World Cup being so far out, like different countries overseas and now having it so close. It’s really cool,” Elisa Murillo said at the restaurant watch party.
Murillo has been a fan of soccer for a while. Her passion for the sport has grown with her son Rafael showing an interest in the sport.
“This guy is a big fan of soccer. He loves to play soccer and we’ve been looking forward to this. So I thought why not have the first game, come out in a social setting and do something fun, show him what it’s like with other people cheering on our team and just having a kind of a fun social time,” Murillo said.
For them, it’s about more than just the excitement of seeing their team score.
“It was really exciting for him to see and to see kind of how the big guys play because he wants to be a professional soccer player one day. That’s his dream. So I kind of want to bring him out to see what it’s like to be out there in a world performance, to be a famous soccer player and how they kind of do the game,” Murillo said.
Mexico won 2-0. Murillo and her son plan on enjoying the rest of the tournament no matter who’s playing.
“Definitely. We’re definitely cheering on Mexico, but I think overall it’s fun just to come watch the World Cup and may the best team win and just hope for the best for everybody, different cultures, different ethnicities, and just the passion of soccer itself,” Murillo said.
Monarca Taqueria and Cantina is hosting another watch party at 7 p.m. Friday. That match is USA versus Paraguay.