World Cup Watching: World's 10 Best Bars For Die-Hard Fans
Flags will be hung, jerseys will be worn, and plenty of beer will be drunk, followed by shouting matches, celebratory roars, and sometimes tears. The World Cup is here, and soccer fans everywhere are gathering at bars and pubs to cheer on their team.
World Cup Watching: World's 10 Best Bars for Die-Hard Fans (Slideshow)
Just any old bar won't house the spirit of the match and what it means to devoted supporters of the game. For that, loyal fans, many with painted faces and sporting team jerseys, will head to spirited bars lined wall to wall with soccer memorabilia, jerseys, and flags repping teams from all over the world.
When it's time for kick-off, every fan has their bar — a spot they revisit for every match because that's where they know devoted fans like themselves will be watching. There may be hundreds of bars around the world that fans call their home field, but only some bars can be considered the best for watching an internationally celebrated soccer competion like the World Cup. Given the criteria we ranked for (bar spirit and devotion, fan-base (partly gathered from bar reviews and ratings), exceptional service, beer and cocktail selection, and overall soccer-centric atmosphere), these 10 bars know how to draw in soccer fans and keep them coming back for every match.
Fanatics in London gather for games at The Albion, one of East London's original soccer pubs named after the English soccer club West Bromwich Albion. Despite its namesake, the bar brings soccer supporters from all over for beer and non-traditional English pub food like "The Albion Cheese Toastie" (grilled cheese) and bacon fries.
Brechó do Futebol in Porto Alegre, Brazil celebrates a storied history of soccer with colorful flags and photos of soccer stars from around the world. Its beer selection includes more than 50 international beers, including German Paulaner, Uruguayan Norteña, and Jamaican Red Stripe.
Even if die-hard fans can't be there cheering from the sidelines, they're there in spirit surrounded by equally spirited fans in an environment that comes pretty close to actually being at the match.
Pull on your jersey, hang your country's flag, and grab a beer.
Ready, set, game time.
São Cristóvão — São Paulo, Brazil
Lined wall to wall with soccer memorabilia from old newspaper clippings and photos — many of famous Brazilian soccer players like Pele, Zico, and Garrincha — to team jerseys and flags, this tiny bar in São Paulo gets crowded quickly with spirited fans. The bar offers a large selection of cachaça, a type of white rum from Brazil, as well as cachaça cocktails like "caipirinha," and on Saturdays, authentic "feijoada," a Brazilian dish consisting of mainly beans, rice, and pork.
The Albion — London
Fanatics in London gather for games at The Albion, one of East London's original soccer pubs named after the English soccer club West Bromwich Albion. Despite its namesake, the bar brings soccer supporters from all over for beer and non-traditional English pub food like "The Albion Cheese Toastie" (grilled cheese) and bacon fries.
See more of the world's most spirited bars for die-hard soccer fans.
Haley Willard is The Daily Meal's assistant editor. Follow her on Twitter @haleywillrd.