Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe says the City of Ottawa is looking into hosting a public watch party on Saturday for Canada’s Round of 16 match against Morocco at the FIFA World Cup. Speaking on CTV Your Morning Ottawa on Tuesday, Sutcliffe said details are still being finalized but something is in the works. “We don’t have all the final details yet, but we’re working on maybe somewhere where everybody can watch the game together on Saturday,” he said. Organized World Cup watch parties come with requirements under FIFA’s public viewing rules. Large public events and commercial watch parties require a licence from FIFA, with a fee based on the event’s size. The rules are different for establishments like bars that show sports on TV as part of regular business. Several venues have broadcast games in Ottawa, including the St. Laurent Shopping Centre, Cineplex theatres, and pubs across the city. On June 24, an official fan experience was hosted at Lansdowne Park for Canada’s final group stage match. Team Canada advanced to the Round of 16 following a 1-0 win over South Africa on Sunday, marking Canada’s first ever appearance in a World Cup knockout game. Morocco moved on to face Canada after defeating the Netherlands 3-2 in penalty kicks following a 1-1 tie on Monday. Sutcliffe said more information about an Ottawa watch party should be available later this week. “We’re looking at maybe a big spot where everybody can gather and watch the game together on Saturday, so stay tuned, we should have some details of the next day or so,” he said. The game kicks off Saturday at 1 p.m. Eastern. Atlético Ottawa is hosting a match at TD Place that same afternoon. Kickoff is being moved to 4 p.m. to avoid an overlap with the World Cup match, and the team is exploring the opportunity to host a viewing party, according to a spokesperson.
