It’s ‘party time’: 2026 World Cup draw has California-based soccer fans pumped
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- San Francisco watch party attracted 100+ fans, some international, for the World Cup draw.
- Levi’s Stadium will host six 2026 World Cup matches from June to early July.
- Fans and former pros highlighted local buzz, ticket plans and youth soccer impact.
When it arrives every four years, the FIFA World Cup is the planet’s biggest sporting event by a vast margin.
It’s also one gigantic party — an international celebration of all things soccer, which kicked off Friday morning as fans and followers tuned in for the official World Cup Draw.
More than 100 soccer enthusiasts from across the world gathered in San Francisco on Friday morning to join that party and to find out live how their beloved teams would be grouped. Six World Cup games will be held next summer in the Bay Area, at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, as North America hosts it for the first time since 1994.
A stream of the World Cup draw was playing on the large screen in the front of the Chase Center. While they waited for the first draw, some fans passed the time with a soccer ball. Some made friends with soccer fans from other continents.
Diego Cuin, originally from Guatemala, started by dribbling the ball by himself.
Soon after, Mouhamed Thiane joined in. The two passed the ball back and forth.
Thiane, a native of Senegal in West Africa, felt very confident about his team’s chances this summer. The team advanced to the Round of 16 in 2022 before losing 3-0 to England.
Thiane believes this year would be different.
“I think they’re going to the final,” said Thiane, who lives in Sausalito.
Senegal, as it turned out over the course of the two-hour draw ceremony held in Washington, D.C., drew into perhaps the toughest group of the tournament: Group I. Joining Senegal in that group are 2022 runner-up France, which is FIFA’s No. 3-ranked team; Norway, with star striker Erling Haaland; and a yet-to-be-determined team that will be decided via FIFA playoffs next March.
Near where Cuin and Thiane were kicking around, Berkeley resident Marcelio Ramos banged his drum in preparation for the first draw. He had a Brazilian flag draped on his shoulders, and wore blue and green socks up to his knees.
Ramos called the World Coup drawing the beginning of “party time.” He reminisced about his country’s previous successes in World Cups, saying he attended the 1994 Round of 16 game in the U.S. when Brazil won 1-0 against the host country.
He planned to watch his team again in-person if they played a game at Levi’s Stadium, though that didn’t come to be. Brazil came up as the very first draw following the three host nations in Mexico, Canada and the U.S.
Brazil headlines Group C, rounded out by Morocco, Haiti and Scotland.
“We want to have fun,” Ramos said. “Sure, winning is fun, but having fun is the most important thing.”
Women’s legend Brandi Chastain: ‘forever indebted’
Inside the Splash Sports Bar at the Chase Center plaza, fans could interact with Bay Area sports legends including former San Jose Earthquakes player Chris Wondolowski and Golden State Warriors players, as well as two-time FIFA Women’s World Cup Champion Brandi Chastain.
Wondolowski, who played in the 2014 World Cup and is Major League Soccer’s top all-time scorer, said Friday’s draw represented the start of the chase for the championship. Teams can start game planning for their games in the summer, he added.
He said the tournament will be particularly special this year given that the U.S. is hosting many games.
“When the host country is playing, there’s a tangible electricity and a buzz about it,” Wondolowski said. “I love it.”
Chastain reiterated the importance of the games being played in America. She recalled watching Brazil’s team practice in Santa Clara in 1994 and called the experience “transformational.”
Now, Chastain said, soccer has become a driver of sports culture. She hoped that this summer’s World Cup would further that change and influence for children to play the game.
“I’m forever indebted to soccer and the World Cup being here hopefully will change somebody’s life that dramatically as it has mine,” Chastain said.
Chastain — a Bay Area native born in San Jose who played for Cal — scored the clincher in the 1999 FIFA Women’s World Cup final against China during a penalty kick shootout. The U.S. hosted that tournament, with the finale at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena.
Chastain’s ensuing celebration, in which she removed her jersey and pumped her fists in her sports bra, remains one of the most iconic images in soccer history.
US, Brazil fans and more
The mood outside the Chase Center once the drawing began was a mix of nervousness and tepid excitement. Fans remained mostly quiet, except for the occasional rounds of applause or nods of heads.
Teams placed into Brazil’s Group C and the United States’ Group D drew the largest reactions with those countries, having the most fans in attendance.
Ramos slowly played his drum in anticipation each time another team was drawn into Brazil’s group.
But much of the drama disappeared early, at least for fans of Brazil who had hoped to see them in action in Northern California. Brazil represented the very first draw by a non-host country, and its Group C will play that round of matches at venues on the U.S. East Coast. The U.S. will play its Group D matches on the West Coast, but in Los Angeles and Seattle.
The U.S. will come to Levi’s Stadium, though, for a Round of 32 match if they go on to finish first in Group D.
Australia’s drawing into Group D led to applause by the fans looking up at the big screen at the Chase Center.
Australia was the lowest-ranked team out of all the Pot 2 teams, explained San Francisco resident Gautam Sarkar.
“I’m pretty happy, it could have been worse,” Sarkar said.
America’s luck continued with the next drawing of Paraguay, Sarkar said. He pointed to U.S. team’s 2-1 win over the South American in mid-November.
“I’m OK with it,” he said.
Former Sacramento Councilmember Steve Hansen joined Friday’s festivities. He hadn’t yet secured tickets to a match, but was hopeful he could return to San Francisco in 2026.
Hansen expected many Sacramentans to be there with him.
“I know that Sacramento is gonna show up to Levi’s Stadium and represent our soccer fandom, because Sac Republic (FC) has helped generate so much excitement about this region,” Hansen said.
‘It’s football or nothing’
Among the international fans was Scotland native Pamela Colbron. She arrived to San Francisco earlier in the week with her partner to celebrate their 10th wedding anniversary.
After learning about the watch party, Colbron — a lifelong soccer fan — said she had to attend.
“It’s a way of life in Scotland,” Colbron said. “It’s football or nothing.”
