PHILADELPHIA — From the moment you arrived in Philadelphia, you understood how much they’ve loved hosting 2026 World Cup games and how electric and emotional this double celebration on America’s 250th birthday would be.
Paraguay against France in a last 16 game of the World Cup on Fourth of July was already a big event for Philly. But throw in huge celebrations across the city for the 250th anniversary of American Independence and it went nuts in the best way possible.
“It feels unreal to be in Philadelphia at this moment,” local Alyssa Pompan said. “250 years, let’s go! The atmosphere is amazing, electric... it’s overwhelming. Everyone is finally coming to our city. Go birds!”
Philadelphia had so many huge events going on at the same time over a sizzling Fourth of July weekend.
With temperatures in the triple digits for several days before and during the festivities, it didn’t stop people from across the world showing up to celebrate the USA’s big birthday and taking in the World Cup knockout rounds too.
“There is no more fitting place for this moment than Philadelphia. This is the birthplace of the nation — and on the very day America turns 250, we’re putting the eyes of the entire globe on our city. You couldn’t script it better. Philadelphia has always been a city that steps up for history, and now we get to do it on the biggest stage there is, in front of a worldwide audience,” Dan Hilferty said.
Hilferty is the CEO of Comcast Spectator, Governor of the Philadelphia Flyers and co-chair of the Philadelphia Soccer 2026 bid, as he played a crucial role in securing these World Cup games in Philadelphia.
“You can see it in how the world has shown up here. Our FIFA Fan Festival at Lemon Hill has been packed match after match — fans from every corner of the globe, alongside Philadelphians, coming together in Fairmount Park to celebrate this tournament. That’s exactly what we hoped for when we set out to host: not just matches at the stadium, but a citywide celebration that welcomes the world in. It’s a point of tremendous pride for every Philadelphian. We’re not just hosting a soccer match — we’re hosting the world on America’s birthday, in the place where America began. That’s a once-in-a-lifetime alignment, and this city has risen to meet it.”
American friends dressed as the founding fathers traveled from Boston to be in Philly for the Paraguay vs France game. Like everyone else in Philadelphia this week, David Sparks, David Maffly-Kipp and Tyler Fuller were having a blast.
“It is amazing, on the 250th birthday of America, it’s a really great experience, really happy to be here with my best friends. Happy to be around all of this energy as well,” Tyler Fuller said.
“We’re in Philly for 4th of July, we wanted to represent America at the World Cup and we’ve had a great experience interacting with everyone else here from around the world. It is really, really cool,” another friend dressed as a founding father added.
In historic Philadelphia the lines were over two hours long to visit Independence Hall, where the Declaration of Independence was signed 250 years ago.
While they stood around in the punishing sunshine people sang “Happy Birthday to America!” and chanted “USA! USA!” after the national anthem was played by groups of musicians dressed in extremely impressive revolutionary era costumes.
When a tour guide pointed out that at one time the emblem of the British Crown hung in Independence Hall there was loud booing from tourists.
People from so many nations were visiting the Liberty Bell as they mingled with Americans traveling from Wisconsin, Vermont, Texas and beyond to be in Philly to celebrate the landmark holiday.
A drone show in the evening over downtown showed George Washington crossing the Delaware with a huge “250" lit up in the sky with major downtown buildings lit up in red, white and blue. Fireworks were going off each evening around downtown. Because, America.
🔔🎉🇺🇸 Hello from red-hot Philadelphia!
— Joe Prince-Wright (@JPW_NBCSports) July 3, 2026
Brilliant party atmosphere here ahead of #Paraguay v #France for Philly’s final 2026 #WorldCup game + 250th 4th of July celebrations galore.
Everyone has been super friendly and is loving hosting the world. Incredible history. Loving it! pic.twitter.com/JjK5puYrGI
While all that was going on, soccer fans were everywhere. Everywhere. There were huge lines to get in bars to watch World Cup games and the ones you could get in to were packed. Shirts from every nation and club team you could think of could be spotted in Philly.
“Oh my god, it’s insane. I feel like there’s people everywhere. Everybody’s so excited and the energy is incredible. Everybody’s excited to have it happen here,” local Amrita Gupta explained.
Fans wearing France and Korea jerseys wandered around the Philadelphia Museum of Art and took photos with the famous Rocky Statue. Huge TV screen billboards were driving around downtown promoting the World Cup action. The World Cup has simply dominated Philly over the last month and it was all building up to this grand finale, with their final of six games coming up July 4th.
“Honestly, it’s been even crazier than what I thought it was going be. I thought it was gonna be wild and exciting but this has exceeded everything,” local Nick Wehr explained.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JULY 04: Fans help cool of a vendor on the concouse level prior to a FIFA World Cup 2026 Round Of 16 match betwwen France and Paraguay at Philadelphia Stadium on July 04, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Howard Smith/ISI Photos/ISI Photos via Getty Images)
ISI Photos via Getty Images
In Reading Terminal Market flags welcoming every nation playing in Philly were hung from the ceilings saying “welcome” in their native language as Brazil fans lined up and got a cheesesteak at Uncle Gus’ and Germany fans sadly wandered the bustling aisles as their team was supposed to make it to Philly for this last 16 game.
Philly has been all-in on the World Cup. Especially this weekend. And they are all-in on welcoming the world.
Everyone gives you a recommendation for the best place to get a cheesesteak. At a packed bar, the Devil’s Alley, locals traded tips with visitors as they halted their day to watch Australia vs Egypt in the last 16 over lunch and drinks.
Flags welcoming the world were everywhere and City Hall was dressed up to impress. Paraguay and France fans swarmed in to Philly and Paraguayan fans lined the streets outside their team hotel in the morning and at night to get a glimpse of Almiron and Co. as locals cheered them on.
A beautiful night spent watching the World Cup games here in Philadelphia. Lion Sports Bar was incredible. Total strangers from all over the world embracing in the beauty and drama of the #WorldCup, creating lifelong memories together. This is what it is all about! pic.twitter.com/mqBQkhJzk1
— Joe Prince-Wright (@JPW_NBCSports) July 4, 2026
“Oh my god, it has been otherworldly. I met some incredible people, randomly out in the streets, I brought them back to watch the games and they’ve become friends forever,” Jennifer Gomes, a Brazil fan with family who hail from Londrina said. She was leading the chants, and blowing a whistle loudly, in the Lion Sport Bar with fans from Argentina, Cape Verde, Colombia, Ghana and many other nations.
“I’ve met these people, some Scotsmen who were here even when there wasn’t a Scotland game in Philly, Brazilians, Haitians... Like, the world is here and we are ready for them!”
The Lion Sports Bar in Chinatown perfectly summed up Philly’s love for the World Cup and welcoming the world on this special weekend and over the last month.
The reaction here in Philadelphia at the Lion Sports Bar when Cape Verde made it 1-1 against Argentina. Absolute scenes! #Argentina #CapeVerde #WorldCup pic.twitter.com/ykjMHrEgQY
— Joe Prince-Wright (@JPW_NBCSports) July 3, 2026
Owned by Mark Prinzinger, he set up the bar as a soccer bar for everyone and he’s created something special. This place, like Philly, has amazing energy. Crowds crammed in to watch Cape Verde’s almost upset of Argentina and went bonkers for it as American flags hung over the road in the streets for several blocks outside.
Prinzinger explained that the legacy of this World Cup will be about how many casual soccer fans are now all-in on the sport.
“We’ve been packed for every single game. It has been phenomenal tournament so far,” Prinzinger said. “A lot of these folks come here every single weekend for Premier League at 7am, so we have a lot of regulars, but we have a lot of new people too that have never watched soccer before and they come down here and I hope they now love soccer too.”
JP Gola, who grew up in India idolizing and watching Diego Maradona with his father, traveled to Philly from Ashburn, Virginia for Paraguay vs France. He was watching Argentina’s game against Cape Verde in the Lion Sports Bar with his Lionel Messi jersey on and at one point he ran through the bar shouting “UFB! UFB!” and explained later it stood for “Un-F******-Believable!”
Gola was going wild with his new friends from Brazil and Argentina and was celebrating Cape Verde’s goals just as hard as Argentina’s. He didn’t care who won. He just wanted to be with people and enjoy the games. The respect and love was strong.
“It’s all about love, freedom, do what you like, do what you want to do,” Gola explained. “It’s all about freedom, you know, support the sport. Enjoy. Everyone is here together. Enjoy the game. Enjoy the sport. All peace.”
Freedom, love and enjoyment sums up the spirit in Philadelphia well this week more than any other.
Prinzinger added that having France in this special Fourth of July game in Philadelphia is extremely fitting.
“With July Fourth, if we can’t have the USA playing here the fact we can have our brothers from France playing here, who helped us found the United States,” Prinzinger said. “There’s a lot of things going in Philadelphia right now for America’s Independence Day, 250, but if you ask anyone in this bar they would say the France vs Paraguay game is the number one thing going on this weekend.”
Loved chatting to Mark Prinzinger, the owner of Lion Sports Bar in Philadelphia. He’s created something really special and the energy and atmosphere has been electric for #WorldCup games.
— Joe Prince-Wright (@JPW_NBCSports) July 4, 2026
“We’ve been packed for every single game. It has been phenomenal.”
Full interview ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/4d9cKnP5iY
Being in Philadelphia this week, the noise of games being played in outside bars and the reaction of fans reverberated around downtown.
Wandering around South 17th street, a lone air guitar playing the national anthem could be heard as Americans were dressed as the statue of liberty and George Washington and had shirts with stars and stripes all over them and screaming eagles with flames.
“Happy July Fourth!” said Philly native Shani Zaritsky with a huge smile on her face.
“I really hope this is only the beginning and Philadelphia is going to get much more in to soccer because soccer is the best game in the world.”
Mixing a World Cup last 16 game with these huge Fourth of July celebrations was a masterstroke from whoever came up with this idea. Even Paraguay wearing red and white stripes and France wearing blue worked for the visuals. Well done.
There have been record numbers at the Philadelphia fan fest in Lemon Hill and the hope is that this is only the start for people visiting and exploring this historic city.
“You just need to come to Philly because you don’t know what you’re missing,” Pompan added. “It is the most walkable city in the United States of America. It’s historical. It’s incredible. Come on down. If you haven’t been, you don’t know what you’re missing.”
And the support from locals to those visiting their city has been overwhelming.
“We’re all fans. We’re all here supporting the teams and having fun. That’s what Philly’s about, community,” Wehr smiled.
“I’ve met so many people from all over the world and had such great conversations. One memory that really stands out, even though Scotland didn’t play in Philadelphia, we’ve had Scottish fans here throughout the tournament. The first day of the tournament they had their suitcases and they came right here from the plane... I’m a big Scott McTominay fan because I support Napoli. The next day they came back and bought me a kilt!” Prinzinger laughed.
Rahul flew in from Bangalore in India to watch Paraguay vs France in Philly and came straight to the bar from the airport. He believed, strongly, that Paraguay would pull off the huge upset in the spirit of Rocky Balboa.
“It feels good to be here and for the USA to be doing good at the same time,” Rahul said. “Meeting people and seeing the World Cup on the Fourth of July weekend, tell me something better than that!?” Moments later a complete stranger grabbed Rahul and hoisted him into the air to celebrate a goal.
That ‘what can be better than this!?’ spirit continued at the stadium and during the game itself in Philadelphia.
Chants of “E-A-G-L-E-S!” were plentiful, the huge TV screens had constant fireworks going off on them with messages saying “Happy 4th!” as Philly’s magnificent skyline towered in the background.
The stadium played classic patriotic music throughout with “Party in the USA” and “Kids in America” and “Born in the USA” among many of the Fourth of July themed tunes belted out.
🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸 Happy 4th of July, 250 version, from Philadelphia for Paraguay vs France! What a party atmosphere here. #WorldCup pic.twitter.com/Zi8JXmyudr
— Joe Prince-Wright (@JPW_NBCSports) July 4, 2026
People dressed in American themed costumes went all-out and outnumbered fans of Paraguay and France. In the end Kylian Mbappe’s penalty kick was the difference as France advanced to the quarterfinals against a stubborn Paraguay.
A few brave souls at the stadium wore England shirts, trying to mark the 250th anniversary of what they likely call ‘Tactical Retreat Day’ but this was America’s day.
Fighter jets roared through the sky as the Star Spangled Banner rang out and red, white and blue smoke shot into the air as the mostly American fans inside went wild. It was a true all-American party on the Fourth of July in Philly with the World Cup playing a huge part of it.
“When I was a kid I remember watching the World Cup in 1994 and that had a big impact on me,” Prinzinger explained. “I’m sure it will have a big impact on the kids these days and I hope all the folks who come here for World Cup will start coming out for all of the Premier League, La Liga, Serie A games, we show them all here. I hope we see them again.”
And Philadelphia hopes people come to see them again.
“I really hope that this entices people from different countries to come out and realize that Philadelphia is a great place to come to and we have good energy and it’s welcoming and there’s really good culture here,” Gupta smiled.
Incredible pre-match scenes here in Philadelphia for #Paraguay vs #France on July 4th 250. #WorldCup pic.twitter.com/qSAXz9P5qb
— Joe Prince-Wright (@JPW_NBCSports) July 4, 2026
“Like, the world is here and we are ready for them! Philadelphia is a city like no other. We’re really putting the ‘welcome all’ signs up,” Gomes said.
The legacy of these World Cup games in Philadelphia, and this day in particular, is at the forefront of the minds of those who made it happen.
“The legacy is bigger than six matches,” Hilferty said. “It’s about growing the game of soccer in the Commonwealth for the next generation — the kids who watched Kylian Mbappe or Luka Modric and these world-class players on our field and now dream of playing themselves. It’s about the investments in youth programming and our public spaces that will benefit this city for years to come.
“And it’s about cementing Philadelphia’s reputation as a city that can execute at the highest level, on the world’s biggest stage, at exactly the moment when the world’s attention is on us. This World Cup isn’t the finish line for Philadelphia — it’s a launching pad for what’s next.”
250 years ago the United States of America was born in Philadelphia.
Today, with some help from the World Cup, Philadelphia showed the world what America is all about.
Here’s to the next 250, with Philadelphia continuing to play a key role.
