San Jose is moving its official World Cup watch parties to SAP Center and Discovery Meadow for Sunday’s match between Mexico and England at 5 p.m.
San Pedro Square has drawn tens of thousands of fans for World Cup matches so far, with crowds regularly filling the area.
City officials expect even more fans for Sunday’s match and said the larger venues are needed to accommodate the anticipated turnout.
“We’re showing the rest of the country what it means to be a soccer city,” Mayor Matt Mahan said in a statement. “The enthusiasm and energy our community is bringing to these matches is incredible. On the eve of historic matchups between Mexico and England, and Brazil and Norway, we’re opening larger venues where fans and families can come together and celebrate safely.”
Discovery Meadow will show both the Mexico-England (5 p.m.) and Brazil-Norway (1 p.m.) matches, while SAP Center will show Mexico-England.
While the official watch parties will be held at SAP Center and Discovery Meadow, the bars and restaurants in San Pedro Square will remain open Sunday.
The official watch parties will return to San Pedro Square on Monday for Team USA’s Round of 16 match against Belgium.
Tickets are required for Sunday’s watch parties and are available online Friday at 10 a.m. for both the Discovery Meadow and SAP Center events.