The 2026 FIFA World Cup is set to commence this week, and it is the biggest tournament yet.
With the tournament expanding from 32 to 48 nations, more countries from around the world will be represented. The debuts of Curaçao, Cape Verde, Jordan, and Uzbekistan at this year’s event will be important milestones in these nations’ sporting histories.
While Singapore may not have qualified for this year’s tournament, residents can still enjoy a healthy ecosystem of free screenings as the city-state prepares to create a festive atmosphere late into the night.
Midnight Party with the Embassy of Mexico
As one of the host nations of this year’s tournament and the host of the opening match, Mexico’s Embassy in Singapore will organise an opening match watch party at CHIJMES on the night of 11 June.
Festivities will include cultural performances and alfresco dining, with the opening match of the World Cup screened on the main lawn.
The Embassy of Mexico has partnered with the Singapore-Mexico Chamber of Commerce and Lenovo to host this event. Representatives from the embassies of the United States, Canada and South Africa will also make appearances.
As an added bonus, CHIJMES will continue screening all 104 World Cup matches until the conclusion of the tournament on 20 July. Matches will be shown on giant 360-degree screens and accompanied by a wide variety of food, beverages, and activities for visitors to enjoy.
Free and Affordable Watch Parties
In some parts of the world, football fans have raised concerns about the affordability of watching matches on television. Thankfully, Singapore offers a range of free screening options alongside its vibrant nightlife.
Bars such as Muddy Murphy’s at 442 Orchard Road will show all 104 matches free of charge. The venue will also host an unofficial fan zone for Netherlands supporters in partnership with Dutch Drinks Singapore.
Several major locations in the city centre will also host screenings throughout the tournament.
Lau Pa Sat, the iconic hawker centre, will become a 24-hour screening hub featuring two 130-inch screens where visitors can watch every match. Food and drinks will be available throughout the tournament, so be prepared to enjoy dim sum during a high-stakes penalty shoot-out.
Additionally, more than 50 community screening venues operated by the People’s Association (PA) will host World Cup screenings free of charge. The full list of venues can be found here.
Should viewers in Singapore want to watch the tournament from the comfort of their home, Singapore’s state-owned broadcaster Mediacorp has secured the rights to all 104 matches on demand with no inflation in price from the previous tournament in 2022.
