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Holmes Avenue looked more like a soccer stadium than a city street Friday night as thousands of fans filled downtown Huntsville for an official FIFA watch party during Team USA's World Cup opener against Paraguay.
The event, hosted by Timberlake, League and Brooks, was a sanctioned FIFA street party — a distinction that required months of planning and licensing to pull off.
"We had to go through FIFA," said organizer Will League. "It's an official FIFA sanctioned street party, and we were able to get the license to broadcast it on the biggest screen we could find."
For those in attendance, the night meant more than just watching a soccer match. Many said they saw it as a moment for community.
"We all need to find that common ground," said Alicia Burkes, a soccer fan at the event. "The U.S. is still growing in popularity and still trying to figure out how to compete with other countries. And the more it grows here, the better it will be."
Soccer player Amber Smith said the moment felt like the fulfillment of a childhood dream.
"I remember watching the World Cup at the beach one summer and thinking, one day it's going to come here and it's going to be the biggest thing to ever happen to U.S. soccer," she said.
Local coaches echoed that sentiment. "Our country in particular is really coming around to soccer being a really good sport," said coach Chris Koob.
From longtime fans to youth players catching their first glimpse of the sport's biggest stage, the crowd reflected a city — and a country — increasingly embracing the game.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is being co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Continue reading...
The event, hosted by Timberlake, League and Brooks, was a sanctioned FIFA street party — a distinction that required months of planning and licensing to pull off.
"We had to go through FIFA," said organizer Will League. "It's an official FIFA sanctioned street party, and we were able to get the license to broadcast it on the biggest screen we could find."
For those in attendance, the night meant more than just watching a soccer match. Many said they saw it as a moment for community.
"We all need to find that common ground," said Alicia Burkes, a soccer fan at the event. "The U.S. is still growing in popularity and still trying to figure out how to compete with other countries. And the more it grows here, the better it will be."
Soccer player Amber Smith said the moment felt like the fulfillment of a childhood dream.
"I remember watching the World Cup at the beach one summer and thinking, one day it's going to come here and it's going to be the biggest thing to ever happen to U.S. soccer," she said.
Local coaches echoed that sentiment. "Our country in particular is really coming around to soccer being a really good sport," said coach Chris Koob.
From longtime fans to youth players catching their first glimpse of the sport's biggest stage, the crowd reflected a city — and a country — increasingly embracing the game.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is being co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Continue reading...
