By admin 
The City of San Jose is relocating its largest watch party for Sunday’s World Cup matches – including for the match between Mexico and England – from San Pedro Square Market to Discovery Meadow and the SAP Center.
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The new watch parties will require tickets to attend, but will remain free, according to a city spokesperson.
While the city has hosted watch parties for every World Cup match that have drawn tens of thousands of viewers, particularly at San Pedro Square, officials are moving Sunday’s celebrations indoors to “support a safe and welcoming environment” and “give … visitors more room to gather, cheer, and celebrate together,” according to a city statement.
“We’re showing the rest of the country what it means to be a soccer city,” said Mayor Matt Mahan in a statement. “The enthusiasm and energy our community is bringing to these matches is incredible. … We’re opening larger venues where fans and families can come together and celebrate safely.”
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The move comes after thousands of fans gathered downtown for the Mexico vs Ecuador watch party on Tuesday. Hours after Mexico defeated Ecuador 2-0, a crowd gathered at the intersection of Santa Clara Street and Almaden Avenue. Several were arrested after multiple incidents, including people climbing onto an ambulance; two people were stabbed in separate altercations, and video circulating from the evening showed instances of officers tackling a man with batons and using chemical sprays on another man.
San Pedro Square Market’s restaurant and bars will remain open on Sunday, and watch parties at San Pedro Square Market will continue starting July 6.
The list of City-sponsored watch parties is available at sj26.sanjose.org/world-cup.
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Tickets are available at the websites for Discovery Meadow and SAP Center.
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This story was originally published July 3, 2026 at 9:55 AM.