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BELLINGHAM, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – The 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off on Thursday, June 11 and runs through July 19. Matches will be played in stadiums across the United States, Canada and Mexico. Bellingham was selected as an official Fan Zone and watch parties are planned across the city. My Bellingham Now has you covered with this World Cup preview.
The World Cup Returns
The last time the U.S. hosted the World Cup was in 1994. It served as an introduction to the game for many Americans.
The United States Men’s National Team (USMNT) returned to the World Cup in 1990 for the first time since 1950. The team landed with a resounding thud in that tournament, losing all their group stage matches including a 1-0 loss to host Italy.
1994 brought new hope for the future of the USMNT and soccer in general in the United States. The country would host the World Cup, giving soccer a chance to win over a hesitant fan base and a nation obsessed with American football, basketball and baseball.
The 1994 World Cup was a wild one. It served as a haphazard swansong for Argentinian legend Diego Maradona, featured a Brazilian team full of flare and a renewed zeal for the beautiful game, and broke World Cup attendance records with over 3.5 million fans filling the stands.
It was a brilliant tournament. Dark horse Bulgaria surged all the way to the semi-finals where they lost to upstart Sweden. Perennial favorites Brazil beat Italy 3-2 in the final at the Rose Bowl in Los Angeles. The USMNT managed to advance to their first knockout stage since 1930 after an unlikely—and now infamous—win over Colombia.
Unfortunately, the 1994 World Cup was dogged by controversy and tragedy. Maradona, hoping to end his international career on a high note, was sent home after testing positive for a cocktail of performance enhancing and illicit drugs. Argentina fell apart after his departure and lost 3-2 to Romania in the round of 16.
The team from Colombia—a favorite to win it all—brought the wrong kind of baggage to the tournament. Drug cartels and gambling syndicates ruled the South American country and that dynamic was highlighted after Andrés Escobar’s own goal against the USMNT ended hopes of a run to the final.
Escobar returned home to Medellín and was promptly shot and killed by an aggrieved gambler. The tragedy sent shockwaves across the soccer world and cast a shadow over the tournament.
It’s safe to say fans and organizers hope the drama in this year’s World Cup will stay mostly on the pitch.
U.S. Men’s National Team Breakdown
The 2026 World Cup will feature a USMNT in flux. It could be the most talented team in U.S. World Cup history. It’s also one of the youngest.
Christian Pulisic, Sergiño Dest, Tyler Adams, Antonee Robinson, Weston McKennie and Folarin Balogun are just a few of the stars currently playing at top tier clubs in Europe.
Can they put it all together and make a run in this tournament?
The answer to that question depends on who you ask and how pessimistic the last few World Cups have left you. It’s been a while since Landon Donovan scored his iconic goal against Algeria in the 2010 World Cup to send the USMNT into the knockout stages.
The USMNT’s run that year was commendable, but in 2014 they again crashed out in the round of 16, failed to qualify for the World Cup in 2018, and followed that up with another disappointing showing in Qatar 2022.
New head coach Mauricio Pochettino seems to have the team playing a quality brand of soccer. They’ve looked good—at times—during the most recent tune-up games. Consistency is still lacking though. For many U.S. soccer fans, that narrative is getting old.
The consensus among soccer analysts seems to be that if this team gels and plays up to their potential, they have a shot at making a run in the tournament. We shall see.
PREDICTION: The USMNT will win a group that includes Paraguay, Türkiye and Australia. Then a hard-fought win will see them through the round of 32. Playing on home turf, the USMNT is a clear dark horse in this World Cup, but a matchup with Belgium in the round of 16 will likely see them out of the tournament.
Where to Watch
When Bellingham was announced as an official Fan Zone for the 2026 World Cup, soccer fans across Whatcom County had a few questions. Will there be block parties? Will they have watch parties on Bellingham’s waterfront? Will businesses across town welcome fans to watch the games?
The answer to all these questions is a resounding “Yes!”
Kulshan Brewing is hosting watch parties at Trackside for all the USMNT games and every game played in Seattle. The owners of Wild Buffalo and The Den will host a block party on Commercial Street for the June 19 game at noon between United States and Australia.
There are also a bunch of businesses across the city that will be showing games. Breweries, bars, restaurants, coffee shops and even the YMCA are getting involved. The City of Bellingham has a full list of Fan Zone locations.
One key Fan Zone location in Bellingham is Menace Brewing in Bellingham’s Fountain District. Menace is the official Seattle Sounders bar in Bellingham and provides soccer fans with a comfortable spot to watch games.
“Menace is your friendly neighborhood brewery,” brewer and co-owner Ryan Flood said. “We’re here for community. We’re here for friends. We’re here to help. Soccer is our lifeblood and we play every single game we can find.”
During the World Cup, Menace will open early and stay open late so fans can watch all the action.
“Ever since I can remember, you watch all the World Cup games,” said Flood. “Last time [Qatar 2022], we opened up early and it was snowing but we had beer out here and everyone was stoked. To me, it’s about the community and camaraderie. Everyone becomes friends.”
Stadiums across the U.S., Canada and Mexico have been upgraded for the World Cup.
Menace has followed suit. A new air conditioning unit will keep fans cool. The crew has installed new televisions so viewers will be able to watch the games inside, outside and from every nook and cranny at the brewery.
Menace won’t just be showing the games. They will be giving away prizes like Menace-branded steel pint glasses and jerseys as well.
For the big games, spillover crowds can watch games at Doug’s Burgers right next door or down the street at Good’s Local Brews. If fans are looking for a relaxed vibe to take it all in, the Fountain District is a great option.
Regardless of where you plan on watching the World Cup, make sure to plan ahead to do it safely.
Favorites, Dark Horses and Cinderellas
If you want to root for a team other than the USMNT in the 2026 World Cup, here’s a rundown of potential contenders:
Cinderellas: Scotland, Austria, Egypt, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iran, Uzbekistan, Türkiye
PREDICTION: Bosnia and Herzegovina knocked Italy out of this year’s tournament. Uzbekistan and Türkiye will both impress with flashes of brilliance. Scotland is a fun team to watch and Austria is poised to make a run, but Mo Salah and The Pharaohs are the team to watch here.
Egypt hasn’t made it out of the group stage since 1934, but this year’s team has enough quality around the Liverpool star to get him the ball. They are plenty organized elsewhere to dictate play. Wins against Iran and New Zealand will see them out of the group stage. If the matchup is right in the group of 32, Egypt will make a run to the round of 16.
Dark horses: Mexico, Ecuador, Japan, Norway, Colombia, Belgium, Netherlands, Senegal, South Korea
PREDICTION: Ecuador and Japan are disciplined and ready to make a run, but both teams lack the firepower up front to score consistently. Mexico will get plenty of support from the stands with home field advantage throughout the tournament. Belgium and Netherlands are always solid, but the European neighbors have never been able to win it all.
Keep an eye on Colombia. They are loaded with talent and are poised to make a run all the way to the semi-finals. Los Cafeteros feature stars James Rodríguez, Luis Díaz and Jhon Arias on a squad destined to bury the demons of that infamous 1994 team.
Favorites: Brazil, Morocco, Germany, France, Spain, England, Argentina, Portugal
PREDICTION: Spain and France are consensus favorites. Both teams are stacked. Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo—two of the best players ever—will try to lead Argentina and Portugal to a title but both are too old at this point and could end up getting in the way. Brazil is loaded with talent—per usual—but this year’s team is not bound for glory. German efficiency will be on display for Die Mannschaft, but efficiency alone won’t be enough. England is England.
With all that in mind, we are swinging for the fences. The time is right. An African country will finally win the World Cup. Morocco is loaded with top tier talent and are poised to make a run. Buckle up. It’s going to be a wild ride. Morocco will beat France 4-3 in a final for the ages.
If you want to make your own World Cup predictions, you can fill out a bracket here. All 104 matches will be broadcast on FOX, FS1 and Telemundo.