The World Cup final brought thousands of soccer fans together in Ottawa Sunday, with supporters gathering at watch parties across the city to cheer on their teams. In the ByWard Market, more than 450 people packed a public watch party organized with help from the Spanish Embassy. Flags waved, jerseys filled the crowd and every scoring chance sparked a reaction from fans watching the world’s biggest soccer match. For Argentina supporter Julean Maya, the final was a game that had to be shared with others. “I’ve been watching the matches at my house, but the final, it has to be here,” Maya said. Watching alongside family and fellow supporters made the experience even more meaningful. “We enjoyed the first one in 2022, and then the second one in 2026 is going to be amazing,” he said. Spain’s Ambassador to Canada, Alfredo Martinez Serrano, says the event was an opportunity to celebrate both the support and Ottawa’s Spanish community. “I feel very proud as ambassador of this incredible community that has been included in such a brilliant way in Canada, which happens to be an incredible country for cohesion and pluralism,” he said. Rideau-Vanier Coun. Stephanie Plante said the watch party showcased the ByWard Market as a gathering place for the community. “This is what I want to give people. I want to give them great memories of the ByWard Market,” Plante said. “You see kids here, you see grandparents here, you see generations here, so, I’m very happy… 450 people are here, this is crazy.” The crowd included fans from both sides of the matchup, all taking in the atmosphere together. “I was cheering Spain ever since I was probably 10 years old,” said Spain supporter Raksha Gooransing. “My brother was always a fan of Messi. You can see the Argentina jersey.” Mauricio Camargo, another Spain supporter, said he hopes the excitement surrounding the World Cup continues to grow in Canada. “People are enjoying soccer, Canada is starting to realize that this is a beautiful game and hopefully one day we can have even bigger parties,” he said. The tournament also gave local businesses a boost. At the Lowertown Brewery, owner Alex Sirois said World Cup matches brought fans from around the world through the doors over the past month. “We’ve seen so many different nations supporting their teams here at Lowertown. It drove a lot of business, which was awesome. It’s been a great ride so far,” Sirois said. Spain largely dominated the match in terms of possession and shot attempts, but Argentina managed to take the game into extra time following a 0-0 draw through 90 minutes of regulation time. Spain’s Ferran Torres scored the winning goal in the 106th minute, securing the nation’s second World Cup title in its history with a 1-0 victory.
