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Soccer Tavern and Michelle\u2019s Lounge represent Norway and Panama, two countries heading to the NY-NJ area for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.<\/p>\n
Photos courtesy of Sherwin Johnson and Kasia Farley<\/p>\n
When Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani<\/a> recently shared an Instagram post spotlighting New York City establishments tied to nations competing in the upcoming FIFA World Cup<\/a> in the area, it wasn\u2019t just a social media moment \u2014 it was a reminder of how deeply global the city\u2019s neighborhoods remain.\u00a0<\/p>\n Among the bars tagged in the post with over 200,000 likes was Soccer Tavern<\/a>, representing Norway<\/a>, which will play in East Rutherford, New Jersey on June 22. The longtime Irish\/Norwegian fixture in Sunset Park is owned by Brendan Farley, for whom the shoutout came as a surprise.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI think one of my kids sent it to me,\u201d he said, laughing. \u201cMy wife handles most of the social media. I\u2019m not very tech savvy.\u201d\u00a0\n<\/p>\n The connection, he said, goes back far before Instagram. Sunset Park\u2019s Eighth Avenue was once known as \u201cLittle Norway,\u201d home to a thriving Norwegian immigrant community that shaped the area throughout the mid-20th century.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThat used to be a Norwegian neighborhood,\u201d Farley said. \u201cSo I guess that\u2019s where [the mayor-elect] got it from.\u201d\u00a0 The bar itself dates back to 1932, when it first opened under Irish ownership before changing hands during a wave of Norwegian immigration in the 1950s. Two Norwegian brothers later ran the establishment, and it eventually entered the Farley family before being sold in the 1970s. Nearly a century later, it remains a living artifact of the neighborhood\u2019s layered past.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s been here a long time,\u201d he added. \u201cThere\u2019s a lot of history to it.\u201d\u00a0\n<\/p>\n With the World Cup set to bring international matches \u2014 and tens of thousands of fans \u2014 to the New York-New Jersey area, local bars like Soccer Tavern are bracing for renewed attention. While Farley hasn\u2019t been inundated with messages, he said he\u2019s already noticed an uptick in interest.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe got a few texts and comments from Norwegian people,\u201d he said. \u201cWe already get visitors who come by just to see the old neighborhood.\u201d\n<\/p>\n He expects many visiting fans will head to MetLife Stadium in New Jersey for matches, but he hopes some will make their way through Brooklyn \u2014 not just for soccer, but for the stories embedded in places like his bar.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m just looking forward to the whole World Cup thing,\u201d Farley said. \u201cIt\u2019s always great, and especially since it\u2019s in New York. There should be a lot of visitors.\u201d<\/p>\n Soccer Tavern isn\u2019t the only Brooklyn establishment finding itself part of the World Cup map. Mamdani\u2019s post also highlighted Michelle\u2019s Lounge<\/a>, a longtime neighborhood bar in Flatbush representing Panama<\/a>, owned by Sherwin Johnson and his family. The country will play in East Rutherford on June 27.\u00a0<\/p>\n Johnson said the cocktail lounge was founded in the 1970s on Bedford Avenue and has been a famous place known in Panama. He told the Brooklyn Paper about the shock he felt when he saw the post.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI hadn\u2019t noticed it until about a day later, when I saw that [the account] was mentioned in so many posts. I didn\u2019t realize that once I slid through the photos, there we were.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Johnson said he\u2019s been inundated with messages since the post.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cPeople are so excited to come and watch Panama; it is definitely going to be an undertaking. After the new year, we will start planning.\u201d\u00a0\n<\/p>\n Johnson also expressed his gratitude for the post.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n \u201cWe didn\u2019t enter anything to be recognized; they just posted it,\u201d he said. He added that it was extremely meaningful for Michelle\u2019s Lounge to be recognized as a staple for the city\u2019s Panamanian community.\u00a0<\/p>\n Together, the two bars reflect how Brooklyn\u2019s immigrant histories continue to shape its present \u2014 even through something as global as the World Cup. As the countdown to 2026 continues, those anchors may soon become international meeting points, where locals and visitors alike come together \u2014 not just to watch soccer, but to celebrate the communities that have long made Brooklyn a world borough.<\/p>\n The 2026 FIFA World Cup will run from June 11 to July 19, 2026, with the final match at MetLife Stadium.<\/p>\n
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Soccer Tavern in Sunset Park represents Norway and Ireland, and has been a local staple for years.Photo courtesy of Kasia Farley\n<\/p>\n![\"World](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/20180526_082341.jpg\")
Farley told Brooklyn Paper he looks forward to the World Cup and all the Norwegian tourists and fans it will bring.Photo courtesy of Kasia Farley<\/p>\n![\"World](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/FullSizeRender.jpeg\")
Michelle\u2019s Lounge, located on Bedford Ave, represents Panamanian and Caribbean culture in the borough.Photo courtesy of Sherwin Johnson<\/p>\n
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Johnson told Brooklyn Paper that he\u2019s grateful for the attention Mamdani shone on the establishment and looks forward to hosting fans in 2026.Photo courtesy of Sherwin Johnson\n<\/p>\n