DC fans – Hundreds of Mexico supporters filled La Cosecha in Union Market in Northeast Washington to watch the opening match of the FIFA World Cup, where Mexico beat South Africa 2–0.
Nine minutes into the opening match, the room at La Cosecha in Union Market in Northeast D.C. erupted—so suddenly several fans were already on their feet before the next sequence even settled.
Mexico had scored its first goal in the FIFA World Cup against South Africa. and the crowd never really came back down. By the time Mexico closed the game with a 2–0 shutout. hundreds of fans had swarmed into the viewing party. turning a regular evening at the food hall into something closer to a homecoming celebration.
“For the third morning, no one showed up.”
That’s not what Joel Lopez said—Lopez, a Catholic University student, was talking about the crowd energy, not missing people. He described it as “amazing,” saying, “They’re all super excited,” adding, “Yeah, I just love the vibe.”
Even with Mexico ahead, Lopez wasn’t just watching his team in a bubble. He kept his eyes on what came next, naming the tournament’s big contenders in the same breath as his own support. “France is looking good, Spain, Argentina, all those big guys,” Lopez said.
Outside the stadium scene, the tournament’s pull was personal for Anna Paula Perez-Gaitan. She came in from Landover. Maryland. and said the highlight so far had been witnessing teams arrive in her home country of Mexico. “The way we’ve welcomed them. and mariachis on the tarmacs. ” she said. describing it as “just such a beautiful culture and country.”.
Perez-Gaitan said she loved that the World Cup is putting Mexico’s culture on display in a way people can experience up close: “I love that everyone’s getting to see it firsthand.”
For some, the viewing party was the closest they’d get to the moment—for now. Jemina Bouma-Perez said she and her husband. along with their baby daughter. will be heading to Mexico City for a game soon. “It’s really special. because it’s really all of the countries uniting for a love of the sport. ” she said. “It’s just a time where people can kind of forget about their worries and come together.”.
Inside the food hall, the celebration spread beyond watching. Among the restaurants, bars, and shops, Sari Dallal had set up a vintage soccer jersey pop-up. Dallal leaned into the World Cup’s cultural reach as he watched the match. “The World Cup is always a festival of all nations,” he said. “Share the cultures, share the happiness of soccer. It’s the greatest sport in the world and so it’s going to bring a lot of fun.”.
Mexico World Cup South Africa La Cosecha Union Market Northeast D.C. viewing party Sari Dallal Joel Lopez Anna Paula Perez-Gaitan Jemina Bouma-Perez