Catch FIFA World Cup fever in Montréal

Local events that dive into Montréal’s diverse soccer culture

Again, although there won’t be any World Cup matches played in Montréal, and there are no shortage of watch parties, entertaining activities and special events planned for fans who wish to participate from afar and that reflect soccer’s growing reach in the city.

• The Maison France-Montréal — whose mission is to strengthen ties between France and Québec — is organizing several watch parties featuring numerous different nations.
• The St. Andrew’s Society of Montreal honours the contribution of the city’s Scottish immigrants to the creation of Montréal. They are planning to host viewing parties for the Scottish team’s World Cup matches. If you would like to attend, please fill out the registration form. 
• The inaugural Crescent Soccer Fan Fest takes over Crescent Street in the downtown core for three days, June 12-14. Expect an electric atmosphere, a range of entertainment and an immersive fan experience with a soccer twist.

• It’s a hot Soccer Fiesta at the Taste of the Caribbean Festival, taking place on The Clock Tower quay in the Old Port of Montréal, July 9-12. The free, four-day fiesta features live Caribbean music, food, arts, kid zones and much more.
• On July 11, Féria de Montréal and the Fête nationale française will jointly celebrate the quarter finals of the World Cup with a 400-person fan zone, live music, food and a number of family friendly activities.
• And don’t miss out on a big outdoor soccer celebration on the field of the city’s Grande Bibliothèque as part of “Le Québec devient soccer” (loosely translated: “Québec is embracing soccer”). On the sched is a live broadcast of the Qatar-Switzerland match on a big screen, skills demonstrations, live music and more.

Soccer is alive and kicking in Montréal. Whether it’s the FIFA World Cup, the European Cup or Montréal’s own professional soccer teams (the men’s CF Montréal or the women’s Montréal Roses), big change has been afoot with the sport’s rapid ascendance in popularity in the city.

Indeed, Montréal is akin to a United Nations of soccer fans, with a tableau of team jerseys representing numerous nations flooding the city’s many great sports bars and cafés. The following are but a few of the livelier locales and the neighbourhoods they can be found in.

The passionate Plateau-Mont-Royal:

• Bar L’Barouf on St-Denis Street is where you’ll find fans of France spilling out into the street.
• For supporters of Portugal and Brazil, Bar St-Laurent Frappé on Saint-Laurent Boulevard is ground zero.
• France fans, predominantly, can get their soccer and their rock tunes on at Les Enfants du Rock on Mont-Royal Avenue.

The trendy Mile End:

• Café Club Social on St-Viateur Street is an Italian café, but it remains one of the best places in town to watch soccer. Added bonus: it’s just a few doors away from MTL’s famed St-Viateur Bagel.
• Also on St-Viateur Street is Café Olimpico, where the epicentres of two of Italy’s all-consuming passions — coffee drinking and soccer watching — intersect in a supernova of caffeinated greatness.
• Bishop & Bagg’s country pub-inspired food and warm wooden décor will put extra minutes on your (mostly England) soccer-watching good time.

Lively Little Italy:

• Despite the fact that Italy failed to qualify for the 2026 World Cup, the fourth-generation-owned Caffè Italia will doubtless be abuzz with fans nonetheless since the love of the game is deep in their caffeine.
• Authentic and unpretentious are but two words to describe soccer-watching hotspot Bruno Sport Bar.
• Caffè San Simeon is as famous for its people watching as it is for its soccer watching, so enjoy this classic Little Italy institution.

Downtown and around:

• The Pub Burgundy Lion on Notre-Dame Street in the up-and-coming Little Burgundy neighbourhood is the rowdy, well-established official headquarters for England fans in Montréal.
• Station des Sports is a multiscreen soccer-watching dream right downtown on Sainte-Catherine Street.
• Popular sports bar chain La Cage has two large locations downtown, one adjacent to the Bell Centre and another in the heart of the Quartier des Spectacles.

The soccer (fever) pitch is expanding to include Montréal this summer, so don’t miss out on a chance to get off the sidelines and be a player in one of the greatest games on Earth.