Where To Watch 2026 World Cup In And Around Guilford

GUILFORD, CT — Fans in Guilford can’t see the action in person, but can still find plenty of places to watch the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the world’s biggest soccer tournament.

Fans from around the globe will come to North America for matches that are being played across the United States, Canada and Mexico.

The 2026 World Cup runs 39 days. It began on Thursday, June 11, and will run through July 19. For the first time, the tournament will feature 48 teams, making it the largest World Cup ever.

Eleven U.S. cities — Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle and East Rutherford, New Jersey — are hosting matches.

Given the massive popularity of the World Cup, sports bars across the country are expected to draw large and energetic crowds. Some to consider in and around Guilford include:

Guilford

• KC's Restaurant & Pub
• Sheppards Tavern
• Anthony's Pizza Bar & Grille

Madison

• Brother Mike's Madison
• Donahue's Madison Beach Grille

Branford

• Eli's Branford
• Tommy Sullivan's Cafe
• Archie Moore's Bar & Restaurant

North Branford

• Rally Caps Sports Bar & Grill
• Bar Eighty

New Haven

• The Trinity Bar & Restaurant
• The Cannon
• Barracuda Bistro & Bar
• Watch parties planned at Pitkin Plaza

The beginning of the World Cup featured an unprecedented trio of star-studded opening ceremonies in the host nations, the United States, Canada and Mexico, created by the Italian producer behind the opening ceremony for this year's Milan Cortina Winter Olympics.

The ceremonies' unifying theme was “the celebration of sports, the passion for soccer, symbolized by the cup itself,” Marco Balich, creative director of Milan-based Balich Wonder Studio, told The Associated Press. “The idea is to narrate with three points of view and languages” using design aesthetics representative of each culture.

In Canada, a mosaic represented its multicultural identity. Mexico's motif will be the traditional paper cutouts called papel picado, while the United States had “a super shiny, glowing cup,” said Balich, who also produced the opening ceremony for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

Each ceremony featured top artistic performances that tapped into the national identity. The ceremonies combined welcoming speeches, a parade of flags, the presentation of the match ball and about 30 minutes of musical entertainment.

The U.S. opening ceremony took place at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles before the USA vs. Paraguay opening match. Katy Perry, Future, Anitta, LISA, Rema and Tyla headlined an all-star lineup.

The Associated Press contributed reporting.