Champaign-Urbana is soccer crazy.
From the sheer numbers of youth programs to the collegiate level teams, to the amount of fans (and international residents) that abound — there’s no question we have a thing for the sport the rest of the world calls “football.”
So it’s not surprising that there’s a huge demand to watch the world’s biggest sporting event, the World Cup. A few fun facts:
- FIFA estimates that somewhere around 3.2 billion people will watch at least some part of the Cup, while the final will have somewhere around 1.3 billion viewers. (By comparison, the Super Bowl draws around 110 million viewers.)
- The tournament takes more than a month. It opens June 11 and the championship match will be played on July 19.
- The favorites, according to betting lines, are Spain, France, England and Portugal.
The World Cup is a great opportunity to teach kids about geography — and cultures beyond our own. It’s also a lot of fun — a big party. And folks who are into it like to watch with others. So here’s a (partial) list of family-friendly places to watch the World Cup in Champaign-Urbana:
- Soccer Planet in Urbana. Soccer Planet is hosting World Cup watch parties for certain matches. The parties will include large-screen TVs, food trucks, indoor and outdoor field availability, a kids zone and more. Call (217) 367-9999 for more info.
- The Illini Union Courtyard Cafe. Venture to campus and check out the matches at the Illini Union. Feel like a (college) kid again. Here’s the viewing schedule.
- Restaurants. You can rest assured many will be showing matches. We know Blind Pig Brewpub in downtown Champaign will be utilizing its screens. Beef O’Brady’s has a wall of TVs in its dining area, plus several other screens in its bar area. Watson’s Shack and Rail announced it will show games during its open hours. There is little doubt that many Mexican restaurants in C-U — which typically have soccer matches on their screens at all times of the year — will be showing matches: El Toro (multiple locations), Encanto (Urbana), Mo’s Burritos (Champaign) and Tres Nopales (Urbana) are among the best bets for viewing options. And, of course, you’re seemingly safe to see some soccer at TV-abundant spots like Buffalo Wild Wings and Aspen Tap House.
Watch at home? Sure! Games will be televised on FOX and FOX Sports 1 networks in English and Telemundo and Universo networks in Spanish. Games will also be available on the streaming services Fubo, Peacock, Sling TV and YouTube TV.
The World Cup begins June 11. Three nations will serve as hosts: Mexico (three cities), Canada (two) and the United States (11). The Americans’ first match is June 12 against Paraguay.