Queens Night Market and the New York Hall of Science (NYSCI) will host a World Cup watch party this Sunday for one of the biggest days of the tournament so far, with Brazil set to take on Norway and Mexico set to go head-to-head with England in the round-of-16.
Brazil and Norway, who face off at MetLife Stadium, will kickstart the action at 4 p.m. in an eagerly anticipated matchup, while co-hosts Mexico will take on England at the Azteca Stadium at 8 p.m. ET.
NYSCI and Queens Night Market have been hosting free “Soccer Sundays” watch parties throughout the World Cup, welcoming up to 5,000 guests to outdoor events in Corona, with Queens Night Market setting up around eight stalls at every event to provide culturally-appropriate food offerings.
Sunday will be no different, but guests will have to RSVP for Sunday’s free event in advance, with organizers anticipating high demand and seeking to avoid going above capacity. Guests must RSVP for each game individually, starting with Brazil vs Norway before England takes on Mexico later in the evening.
Sunday’s watch party will mark the penultimate Soccer Sundays event hosted by NYSCI and Queens Night Market, with no games scheduled for July 12. There will be a watch party for the World Cup final on July 19, however.
Mexico booked its place in the round-of-16 with a commanding victory over Ecuador Tuesday night, while England came from behind to beat DR Congo in Atlanta on Wednesday afternoon.
Brazil similarly came from behind to beat Japan in the round-of-32 to book its place at MetLife for the round-of-16, while Norway scored late on to defeat the Ivory Coast to set up the mouthwatering clash.
NYSCI President and CEO Lisa Gugenheim said the event aimed to welcome “all World Cup fans” to the outdoor space in Flushing Meadows Corona Park.
Funding for the weekly watch parties was made available through Queens Borough President Donovan Richards and NYC Tourism + Conventions, who allocated $75,000 in funding for a number of watch parties across the borough.
“We’re very proud of our diversity, and what more amplifies that message than ensuring that the world’s sport can be seen in every corner of this borough, the world’s borough,” Richards said at the launch of the events in June.
MoMA PS1 will host a World Cup final watch party in its outdoor courtyard on July 19, while Queens Botanical Garden will also host a World Cup final watch party, with space for 1,000 guests. Guests attending the Queens Botanical Garden watch party will also receive free access to the gardens.