It’s the season of soccer watch parties and Cavalry FC are launching with a few watch parties of their own Wednesday. With the World Cup kicking off Thursday, the city -- in partnership with Calgary Minor Soccer Association (CMSA), Cavalry FC, Wild FC, Tourism Calgary, the Calgary Downtown Association and the Centre for Newcomers -- are offering free watch parties of Canada games at Eau Claire Plaza on June 12, 18 and 24. It all kicks off Friday when Canada takes on Bosnia-Herzegovina at 1 p.m. On June 18, the Canadians take on Qatar at 4 p.m. and on June 25, they play Switzerland at 1 p.m. Should the Canadian team advance, expect additional dates to be added. They’ll also host a World Cup Final watch party on Stephen Avenue on July 19. Fans are welcome to come to Eau Claire Plaza to cheer together, enjoy family-friendly activities and share in the excitement of watching the world’s biggest sports event, the city posted on its website. “Soccer is the universal language, and at CMSA, we speak it fluently,” said CMSA executive director Carlo Bruneau. “We are proud to be part of Soccer City FC and the World Cup Watch Parties because they celebrate a historic moment for the game while showcasing what soccer does best — bringing people together, creating joy and building commUNITY." Cavalry FC face Inter-Toronto FC Wednesday and a few watch parties are taking place around the city for the 5:30 p.m. game, including at the Elephant & Castle, Ship and Anchor and at Kildares Ale House in the city’s south end. And back to the World Cup, there are 48 different countries competing in the 2026 event, and that probably means a lot of different watch parties in different communities. On Saturday at the Chinese Cultural Centre, there’s a Brazilian market starting at 1:30 p.m. featuring Brazilian vendors, typical foods and live music. There will be a DJ, family area, activities and at 4 p.m., a watch party featuring a marquee match: Brazil vs. Morocco, the finalists in the 2022 World Cup. Ticket information here.
