Local businesses become community hubs during World Cup watch parties

By Aramis Loma-Guzman

The cheers inside Rincon Argentino erupted long before the final whistle of the World Cup quarterfinal matchup between France and Morocco.

Soccer fans and their cheers have filled the authentic Argentine restaurant for the past three weeks to celebrate the World Cup. 48 unique countries took part in the tournament hosted across Canada, Mexico and the United States to crown the best team in the world.

Over 1.2 billion people worldwide gathered to watch Mexico best South Africa in the tournament’s opening game, and although it seems impossible, the spectacle has attracted even more eyes since then.

The World Cup is more than just a soccer tournament; it’s the one time every four years that countries are more united than ever.

Joshua Valdez has spent the past three weeks cheering on the Spanish national team at the Rincon Argentino, but most importantly, he has realized how much love and passion the event brings.

“I see a lot of rise in the community,” Valdez said. “I see a lot of love, compassion and beauty. It brings so much more to everything that surrounds us; it’s all about love.”

For Patric Quijada, a Florida native visiting Colorado and the Rincon, it’s about the memories the spectacle has brought and will bring him.

“It’s a time to come together with friends and family, to enjoy the games and the passion,’ said Quijada. “[It] doesn’t matter where you are from, you just enjoy… I watched the World Cup with my dad growing up, and now I get to watch it with my kids and family.”

Millions of people from 48 countries have traveled to the three host countries to create relationships with people they would have never met had it not been for the beautiful game.

From South Korean fans building lasting memories with Mexican citizens to Norwegian fans stealing the world’s hearts with their never-ending cheering, the World Cup has united the world as no other event could.

 ”It makes me almost wanna cry when I see Lionel Messi wearing an Argentinian jersey…out on the field.’ said Christian Saber, an Argentine from Buenos Aires and owner of Rincon Argentino. “It’s everything. We are so proud that that guy is wearing an Argentinian jersey. We’ve been so lucky to have him [as a] player, and to have players like him, like Maradona… We are very, very proud

Saber and his wife, Karly, have created a safe place, in some ways a home away from home, for soccer fans to cheer on their national team. Because of places like the Rincon Argentino, the World Cup builds a sense of pride, orgullo, that is otherwise never prominently felt.

Following Mexico’s historic win over Ecuador in the round of 32, it is estimated that over 1 million people gathered in the center of Mexico City to celebrate through the night. In the USA, over 42 million people tuned into the US vs Belgium game to cheer on their country, a record number no one thought could be reached by American soccer.

For 90 minutes at a time, nationalities, languages and backgrounds blur inside Rincon Argentino. Fans arrive supporting different flags, but they leave sharing the same memories, and a reminder that the World Cup is about far more than the final score.

This story aired on the Morning Magazine, KGNU’s weekday morning show featuring in-depth discussions on local news issues. Click here to listen to other episodes of the Morning Magazine.