During this summer’s World Cup, you couldn’t scroll through social media without finding a foreign soccer fan marveling at our ranch dressing, air conditioning or gas stations the size of a small town. But the cultural exchange was a two-way street, as Americans fell for stars like charismatic Norway striker Erling Haaland, who helped his team Viking-row into the quarterfinals, and fleet-footed Spanish teenager Lamine Yamal, who became the third-youngest player to win a World Cup.
Now that the tournament’s over, fans can still watch Haaland, France’s Kylian Mbappé or England’s Bukayo Saka banging in goals for the next nine months — they’ll just be doing it for their club teams in Europe.
Haaland plays for Manchester City in the English Premier League. The Capital City Blues, the official supporters club that organizes viewing parties in D.C. every weekend, is seeing an increase in new fans. “The Haaland effect seems to be in force, with the many requests we’ve been receiving daily to join the Cap City Blues,” Leah Turner, the group’s chairman, says in an email. The Blues moved their gatherings to Whitlow’s on U Street before last season, and Turner says they’ve been hitting capacity for big matches such as the FA Cup final and games against rival Manchester United. Attention on Haaland might lead to even bigger crowds.
Whether you fell in love with a player during the World Cup or you’ve been following a team for decades, there are plenty of places to watch your favorite European leagues around the D.C. area. Fifteen of the 20 Premier League teams have a fan club or designated bar in the region. Fans of teams from Spain, Germany, France and Italy also have places to gather. And supporters of FC Barcelona, one of the world’s most popular teams, have a new spot to cheer for their side.
Want to watch a particular player?
Norway and Manchester City’s Erling Haaland
Where: Whitlow’s on U Street
Haaland didn’t come into the World Cup as an unknown quantity — he’s been the top scorer in the Premier League three of the past four seasons, helping Manchester City to a pair of titles. But Haaland’s fame rocketed during the World Cup as fans were captivated by his quirky Instagram posts as much as his goal-scoring prowess. Expect to see more of that on display at Whitlow’s on U, home of the Capital City Blues supporters club. Among the tributes to Haaland: A $5 coffee drink called the Norwegian Wake-Up Call, with cinnamon, cardamom and vanilla, inspired by Haaland’s go-to coffee order and perfect for those 7:30 a.m. kickoffs. Or, if you need something extra, it can be spiked with whiskey or Baileys, and will cost $10. 901 U St. NW.
Spain and Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal and Pedri
Where: Cantina El Rey Navy Yard
The biggest transfer of the offseason in D.C.: The Penya Barcelonista Washington DC, the official Barcelona supporters club, left its longtime home at the Elephant and Castle pub downtown and moved to Cantina El Rey across from Nationals Park. A representative says that the Penya will be meeting there “for the foreseeable future,” so fans will be able to watch Yamal and his superstar teammates, including Pedri and Raphinha, on indoor and outdoor TVs at the waterfront bar. New members of the Penya ($40 individual, $75 family) receive a 20 percent discount on food and drinks. 79 Potomac Ave. SE.
France’s Kylian Mbappé and England’s Jude Bellingham for Real Madrid
Where: Real Madrid at Elephant and Castle
Two of the best players at the World Cup share a team in Spain’s La Liga, and they will be looking to improve on last season’s second-place finish with teammates like Vinícius Júnior and Federico Valverde under the direction of new coach José Mourinho. With the local Barcelona supporters moving out of Elephant and Castle, the official Peña Madridista will have the pubby downtown watering hole all to itself for the first time in years. 1201 Pennsylvania Ave. NW.
England and Bayern Munich’s Harry Kane
Where: O’Sullivan’s and the Brig
With more than 750 members, the DC Bayern Capitol 11 boasts that it’s the largest Bayern Munich fan club in America. The Capitol 11 meets at O’Sullivan’s Irish Pub in Clarendon, where they’ve partnered on game-watch events with the German Embassy and celebrated Kane’s goals and multiple league titles with mugs of Paulaner beer. Supporters who don’t want to cross the river can join the D.C.-based Mia San District fan club at the Brig, a beer garden at the south end of Barracks Row. O’Sullivan’s: 3207 Washington Blvd., Arlington. The Brig: 1007 Eighth St. SE.
England and Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka
Where: Franklin Hall, Ireland’s Four Courts, Easy Tiger and Gold Clover
Saka scored a hat trick as England claimed third place, but he was only one of several Arsenal players with a memorable World Cup: Spain’s Mikel Merino scored game-winning goals in consecutive knockout games, while Martin Odegaard captained Norway to its best-ever finish. The main bar for Arsenal supporters in D.C. is Franklin Hall, north of U Street. The capacity is over 350, but fans were lining up hours before matches last season as the club closed in on its first championship in 22 years, and members of the D.C. Armoury filled both sides of the bar with songs and chants. Expect more of the same this season. The Arlington Gooners, another official supporters group, meet at Ireland’s Four Courts. Other Arsenal-centric options include Easy Tiger Tavern in Adams Morgan, which shows every game with full sound, and Gold Clover Bar in Bloomingdale, which doesn’t open for every match but draws a solid neighborhood crowd when it does.
USA and Juventus’s Weston McKennie
Where: Problem Child
The sad truth for new fans of the U.S. national team: If you want to keep up with World Cup breakout stars such as Folarin Balogun or Malik Tillman, you’re probably going to do so from the comfort of your couch, since you’d have to go to New York City to find supporters clubs for teams like Monaco (Balogun) or Bayer Leverkusen (Tillman). That’s why we’re suggesting you follow America’s ranch-loving midfield general McKennie, who plays for Juventus in Italy’s Serie A and was named to the league’s team of the season for 2025-26. The D.C. Juventus Supporters’ Club meets at Problem Child, a low-key sports bar near Nationals Park, where the menu includes a Peroni and Fernet combo. 1201 Half St. SE.
Argentina and Aston Villa’s Emiliano Martínez
Where: The Queen Vic
The Argentine goalkeeper is a known commodity — he was named the top goalkeeper at the 2022 World Cup and the 2024 Copa América — but his heroic performance in the 2026 World Cup final, when he set a record with 11 saves despite a broken finger, won him new admirers. Also, frankly, Martínez is bonkers, especially his distracting “mind games” before penalty kicks. The Capital Villains, the supporters group for Aston Villa, will be gathering at the Queen Vic on H Street NE. Yes, the Vic is probably the area’s best-known Liverpool bar, home to D.C.’s official supporters club. But it has hosted D.C.’s only official Aston Villa fan club since before the pandemic. Things could be fun when the teams meet in December. 1206 H St. NE.
Want to find a particular team?
Ireland’s Four Courts
Home to: Arsenal, Chelsea, Crystal Palace, Sunderland, Tottenham Hotspur, AC Milan and Roma
The Four Courts is one of the area’s best-known destinations for watching the beautiful game, an embassy of soccer that begins humming at 7 a.m. on Saturdays as the first fans stumble in to claim their spots at the bar, ordering full Irish breakfasts and perfect pints of Guinness before many area residents have started their coffee. Seven supporters clubs call the pub home, so a weekend might find four or five games shown back-to-back on TVs, while groups sporting the white jerseys of Tottenham, blue of Chelsea, red of Arsenal, and stripes of Crystal Palace and AC Milan shuttle in and out, gathering in their usual corners or the long wooden bar. (An essential rule of the Four Courts: All tables are communal during soccer matches.)
Earlier this year, “Men in Blazers” — a soccer podcast turned TV show turned full-fledged media network — named the Four Courts the best soccer bar in America. Regulars were not surprised. 2051 Wilson Blvd., Arlington.
The Barking Dog
Home to: Liverpool
The longtime Bethesda neighborhood bar is the third of the Official Liverpool Supporters Club’s trio of D.C.-area viewing locations. Check social media to make sure it’s open for early games. 4723 Elm St., Bethesda.
Big Tony’s Pizza and Dive Bar
Home to: Inter Milan
Big Tony’s, a fixture in the heart of Clarendon, might not sell the exact style of pizza foodies go hunting for in Milan, but the bar’s mix of wings, calzones and pies — including a Hawaiian version — have made it a favorite of the Inter Club of DC, the local fans of Serie A champion Inter Milan. 3100 Clarendon Blvd., Arlington.
Crystal City Sports Pub
Home to: Liverpool and Glasgow Rangers
One of the best-known sports bars in the area, the sprawling three-level Crystal City Sports Pub welcomes the official Liverpool supporters club to watch matches on numerous TVs. It also hosts some viewing parties for the D.C. Rangers Supporters Club, for fans of Scottish soccer. 529 23rd St. South, Arlington.
Duke’s Grocery — Foggy Bottom
Home to: Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona
During the World Cup, the British Embassy hosted viewing parties for the England and Scotland teams at Duke’s Grocery, but the Foggy Bottom bar doesn’t have a Premier League team meeting there (yet). Instead, partner Daniel Kramer says the bar — located in Western Market on George Washington University’s campus — has “organically” become a place for Barcelona and PSG fans to watch matches. 2000 Pennsylvania Ave. NW.
Dupont Public House
Home to: Everton
We’re still waiting for final details on the opening of Dupont Public House, a new sports bar going into the old Sign of the Whale space downtown. PoPville reported in January that it would be run by former employees of Across the Pond, a soccer-centric Irish pub in Dupont Circle that hosted the Everton and Borussia Dortmund fan groups. For the first week of the season, at least, the DC Toffees are watching games at the Midlands Beer Garden in Park View. 1825 M St. NW.
Exiles Bar
Home to: Liverpool
Exiles may not be one of the “official” Liverpool supporters bars in D.C., but you wouldn’t know it from the crowds that show up on U Street, angling for the first-come, first-served seating at the bars on the first and second floors. 1610 U St. NW.
Hawk & Griffin
Home to: Brentford and Newcastle United
Vienna’s Hawk & Griffin pub embraces all things English: Sunday roasts, a “pie and a pint” deal on Thursdays and traditional ales served on hand pump. Most Premier League games are shown, but the Hawk & Griffin is the base for Newcastle’s Toon Army D.C. and Brentford’s Potomac Bees, which took over the pub when Brentford was in the D.C. area during the 2023 Premier League Summer Series. 435 Maple Ave. West, Vienna.
The Irish Channel
Home to: Tottenham Hotspur
The Irish breakfast — eggs, rashers, sausage, baked beans, fries, toast, and black and white pudding — is the go-to meal during early morning matches at Irish Channel, an Irish-owned pub inside the Fairfield Inn and Suites in Chinatown. For more than a decade, the Channel has been the home of D.C. Spurs, the local Tottenham supporters group. 500 H St. NW.
The Queen Vic
Home to: Aston Villa and Liverpool
Probably D.C.’s best-known British pub, the Queen Vic ticks all the boxes: Sunday roasts, creamy ales on tap, and vintage soccer shirts and scarves hanging next to London Underground signs on the walls. The Vic has long been known as a Liverpool bar — its owners are Liverpool fans who travel across the pond to watch their team — and opens for every match, though it also hosts the Aston Villa supporters group Capital Villains (see above). Be warned: Lines form early for games against Liverpool’s biggest rivals, and the Belgian beer bar Granville Moore’s, located toward the other end of the block, is occasionally used for overflow. 1206 H St. NE.
Silver Branch Brewing Rockville Beerworks
Home to: Tottenham Hotspur
After the closure of Saints Row Brewing, the Montgomery County Spurs — an official supporters club that debuted in 2023 — has moved to Silver Branch Rockville Beerworks, just off East Gude Drive. The craft brewery’s taproom is family-friendly. 7301 Calhoun Pl. #600, Derwood.
Solace Outpost
Home to: Manchester United
How many Premier League supporters groups can boast about having a beer brewed especially for them? Solace Outpost, the Navy Yard taproom for Sterling’s Solace Brewing, sells a special Red Devils DC red lager, named after the Manchester United supporters group, which moved there in 2022 after Lucky Bar closed. The modern, airy bar is festooned with Man United flags and banners. 71 Potomac Ave. SE.
Suzie Q’s
Suzie Q’s opened across Potomac Avenue SE from Nationals Park in May 2025, then became the home of D.C.’s Fulham fan club a few months later. This season, the casual one-room bar is adding the DC Gulls, the official Brighton supporters group. Look for barbecue and beer-and-a-shot combos, as well as early opening hours on weekends. 71 Potomac Ave. SE.
Tallboy
Home to: Leeds United
After Leeds was relegated from the Premier League in 2023, the Leeds United Supporters Club of D.C. kept scheduling viewing parties and events at Tallboy — regulars may have spotted the Leeds jersey on the wall behind the bar — to cheer for players including U.S. winger Brenden Aaronson. Their faith was rewarded with a return to the Premier League in the 2025-26 season. 1239 Ninth St. NW.
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