World Cup fever is amping up here in Alameda, especially since the Australian national team, the Socceroos, set up their base camp at the Oakland Roots and Soul training facility on Bay Farm Island. The big question, of course, is where to watch the actual matches.
If you want to watch live matches at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, remaining tickets are now very limited and range from at least $350 to $900 at resale sites like SeatGeek. If you buy through the official FIFA ticketing website, you’ll have to wait at least a half-hour just to see what’s still available (not much) or opt for special hospitality suite tickets, which range from just under $2,000 to $3,558 per person.
But here’s the good news. The seats are free, aside from food and drink, at watch parties all over town where you can watch live matches on big screens with friends and local crowds. Here are a few local spots to check out:
- 1400 Bar & Grill, 1400 Webster Street.
- Alameda Brewing, 1716 Park Street.
- Almanac, 651 W. Tower Avenue.
- Calafia Taqueria, 1445 Webster Street.
- Club House Sports Bar, 1215 Park Street.
- Dragon Rouge, 2337 Blanding Avenue.
- Hobnob, 1313 Park Street.
- Humble Sea, 2350 Saratoga Street.
- La Penca Azul, 1440 Park Street.
- McGee’s Bar & Grill, 1645 Park Street.
- Park Station, 1200 Park Street.
- Park Street Tavern, 1901 Park Street.
- Project Burger, 2319 Central Avenue.
- Speisekammer, 2424 Lincoln Avenue.
- Tomatina, 1338 Park Street.
- Town Tavern, 1437 Park Street.
- VJ’s Sports Bar & Pizza, 901 Marina Village Parkway.
- Wescafe, 1518 Webster Street.
The Alameda Theatre is hosting big live watch parties on Tuesday, June 16, at 6 p.m. for the Argentina vs. Algeria match, and Friday, June 19, at noon for the USA vs Australia match. Tickets are free but were “sold out” at last search, but you never know if they’ll all show up. If you really want to go but don’t have a ticket, keep checking the website or stop by and ask at the ticket window.
For more information about what’s happening in town to celebrate the FIFA World Cup™, visit the City of Alameda’s official Celebrating World Soccer 2026 webpage. And if you want to expand your territory, the East Bay Soccer Trail website lists (and maps) watch parties and events across the East Bay, including maps and other details.
