World Cup fever hits Medford
Local immigrant communities gather to cheer on their team during the 2026 World Cup, an event that truly brings the whole world closer at least for a few weeks
By Rich Tenorio
For the first time since 1994, the World Cup is taking place in the U.S., and in Medford locals are following it all with great interest. For members of several immigrant communities in the city, it’s a chance to follow teams from their homelands, including the Caribbean, South America, the Middle East and North Africa. For others, it’s a reflection of the surging popularity of soccer within the U.S.
The global soccer tournament is co-hosted by the three North American nations – the U.S., Canada and Mexico. As was the case in 1994, some games are being played close to home, in Foxborough, but for those who can't make it to Gillette, there are plenty of local watch parties where residents can cheer for their favorite football team.
Brazil versus Haiti
When the national teams of Brazil and Haiti play in Philadelphia tonight, two of Medford’s immigrant populations will be paying close attention.
At the Oasis Brazilian restaurant on Main Street, patrons and employees filled the space to capacity last Saturday as they watched Brazil take on Morocco. Employees wore yellow T-shirts honoring Brazil and the fact that the World Cup was taking place in the U.S., including the Boston area.
“We’re going to show all the games,” Gesio Amorin, a second-line manager at Oasis, said earlier that week.
A native of Rondonia, Brazil, Amorin said he is rooting for Brazil first and the U.S. second.
Haitian fans in Medford are reflecting on an opening game against Scotland that didn’t quite go their way. Scotland won, 1-0, but many who watched the game either in-person at Gillette Stadium or at home are criticizing non-calls by the referee. One point of contention: At two points late in the game, a Scottish player appeared to touch the ball with his hand, which is illegal in soccer and should have resulted in Haiti taking penalty shots. But in both instances, the referee failed to rule a penalty or request a playback. An online petition asking for soccer’s governing body, FIFA, to review the result has received over 100,000 signatures.
That game was hard for local Haitian fans to watch. Natasha Barthe, a Haitian-Creole community liaison for the city of Medford, said there was “a lot of controversy” and “a lot of messiness” surrounding the outcome. Barthe watched the game on TV at home. Her brother went to a watch party in Central Square, Cambridge. This is Haiti’s first appearance in the World Cup since 1974, when the island nation made its debut in the tournament.
Darline Raymond, who is also a Haitian-Creole community liaison for Medford, described her overall feelings about Haiti returning to the tournament for the first time in 52 years.
“Joy, so much expectations, so much pride and rejoicing,” she said. “A sense of connecting again, connecting with the world.”
“At the same time,” Raymond continued, “expectations are so high, I can understand why people feel discouraged, feel disappointed.”
Her colleague Barthe predicted that the game against Brazil on Friday will be challenging.
“Oh, Lord. This is going to be a heated one,” Barthe said but added that the Medford Haitian community will show up to watch it, nonetheless.
Arabic speakers follow the cup
For the city’s Arabic-speaking population, there are multiple World Cup teams drawing interest this year.
“There’s a huge Moroccan community living here in Medford,” said Samira Hayek, the city’s Arabic community liaison. “They’re very excited.”
Morocco lived up to the excitement in its first game with a tie against Brazil. Next up for Morocco is a game against Scotland on Friday.
“All Arabic communities inside the states and outside the states are always excited for the World Cup,” said Hayek, who is from Lebanon.
About 17 % of Medford residents speak Arabic, including immigrants from Morocco, Egypt, Algeria and Tunisia, which are all nations with teams in the World Cup this year. Medford Arabic speakers also include immigrants from Lebanon.
The previous World Cup, in Qatar in 2022, was the first to take place in the Middle East. Four years later, Hayek notes an increase in American interest.
“Americans are catching up with soccer,” she said. “They are excited for the World Cup … I think, four years ago, it did not get that attention.”
Restaurants offer chance to see games
At local restaurants last Saturday, there were full crowds on hand to watch the World Cup action.
Oasis was packed for Brazil-Morocco, while the Great American Beer Hall on Mystic Avenue was similarly crowded that night. At the latter venue, TV screens showed not only World Cup coverage but also game five of the NBA Finals between the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs.
“We have a ton of watch parties planned,” Great American Beer Hall co-owner Brian Zarthar said earlier last week.
“We expect a lot more people than last year at this time,” he said. “Last year, people started going to Cape Cod and Maine. This year, we … see watch parties happening.”
Zarthar predicted this month will be “the best June we can hope for.”
