NEWS RELEASE: Goooooolazo in San José with FIFA Festivities All Month Long

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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Carolina Camarena, Director of Communications
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Goooooolazo in San José with FIFA Festivities All Month Long
Residents and visitors can enjoy watch parties, concerts and special events across San José from June 11 to July 11

SAN JOSE, Calif. (June 3, 2026) - The City of San José is ready to welcome the FIFA 2026 World Cup Teams and visitors from across the globe for the upcoming World Cup matches at the San Francisco Bay Area Stadium. All teams playing in the Bay Area World Cup games will stay and practice in San José, and Team Paraguay will be based in San José throughout the World Cup.

"San José is thrilled to welcome visitors, athletes, and fans from across the globe to fly, stay, and play in our City and experience our community, our culture, and the energy that makes our City a world-class center for sports entertainment," said City Manager Jennifer Maguire.

In partnership with the San Jose Earthquakes, San Pedro Square will be activated as an entertainment zone and host one of the largest fan fest celebrations in the world, featuring watch parties for all 104 FIFA 2026 World Cup matches along with a full range of family fun activities.

San José's FIFA festivities will kick off with two watch parties at San Pedro Square Market on June 11 for the Mexico vs. South Africa match at noon and the Korea Republic vs. Czechia match at 7 p.m. The first of over a dozen neighborhood watch parties will take place at Eastridge Mall for the Mexico vs. South Africa match.

In addition to the watch parties, San José will host:

• A Drone Show at Lake Cunningham on July 4
• Zeds Dead Concert at Discovery Meadow on July 20
• Soccer-themed art exhibits

"We're just a week away from the world seeing everything San José has to offer," said Mayor Matt Mahan. "The celebration starts at San Pedro Square with the Earthquakes takeover and one of the biggest watch parties in the country - and extends across our city as we welcome fans from around the globe to experience San José."

"We look forward to inviting the world this summer to the epicenter of soccer in Northern California," said Earthquakes President Jared Shawlee. "With the Earthquakes' success pushing San Jose to the forefront of North American soccer this year, we're primed to carry that momentum into Soccer Celebration as we host the biggest FIFA World Cup watch parties in the region at San Pedro Square Market alongside our partners."

All of the soccer celebrations are funded through the City of San José and the San Jose Sports Authority's SJ26 program, where the majority of funds were raised through corporate sponsorship and philanthropy.

"The South Bay has a proud World Cup legacy, having hosted matches during both the 1994 FIFA World Cup and the 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup," shared San Jose Sports Authority Executive Director John Pooch. "We are honored to welcome the world back for a third FIFA World Cup and showcase everything that makes San José and our region special. Through the San Jose Sports Authority's SJ26 initiative, we have partnered with the City of San José, the San Jose Earthquakes, the Bay Area Host Committee, and dozens of community organizations to create a true World Cup experience for our residents and visitors. From watch parties and fan festivals to neighborhood celebrations across the city, our goal is to unite our community, celebrate the global spirit of soccer, and ensure that everyone has the opportunity to be part of this historic moment."

To help fans stay up to date on matches and festivities, the San Jose Sports Authority's Game On, SJ26 App will feature real time World Cup lineups, scores, commentary, and games with the ability to win Southwest Airlines gift cards, Quakes Jerseys, or two Quakes Season Tickets. The Game On App can be downloaded at https://onelinkto.app/r/gameonsj26.

For a full list of everything happening in San José during the FIFA 2026 World Cup, please visit https://sj26.sanjose.org/world-cup.

About the City of San José
With almost 1 million residents, San José is one of the most diverse large cities in the United States and is Northern California's largest city and the 13th largest city in the nation. San José's transformation into a global innovation center has resulted in one of the largest concentrations of technology companies and expertise in the world.

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