Where Argentina Fans Watch the World Cup in NYC

Messi's final World Cup — Jackson Heights, Roosevelt Avenue, and how NYC's Argentine community watches the defending champions

Argentina Fans in NYC: World Cup 2026 Guide

The Weight of This Tournament

Argentina won the 2022 World Cup in Qatar in what many consider the greatest World Cup final ever played — Messi scored twice, set up a third, survived extra time, and converted in the penalty shootout. It was the ending the sport had been waiting decades for. Now, at 38, playing for Inter Miami in Harrison, New Jersey — 20 miles from MetLife Stadium — Messi returns as the defending champion for one last run.

For New York's Argentine community, this tournament has a quality that no other World Cup has had before. Messi is local. He plays club football a cab ride away. The possibility of him lifting the trophy at MetLife on July 19 — in a stadium visible from New Jersey, where he practices — is the narrative this city's Argentine community has been processing since the draw.

Jackson Heights — Roosevelt Avenue

Roosevelt Avenue between 74th and 86th Streets in Jackson Heights is where Argentina lives in New York. The avenue runs under the elevated 7 train and is dense with South American restaurants, bakeries, and sports bars from the Colombian, Ecuadorian, and Argentine communities. On Argentina match days, blue-and-white stripes appear on every block. The sports bars set up additional screens. The street outside fills with fans who can't get inside.

The atmosphere on Roosevelt Avenue during a big Argentina match is as close as you'll get to Buenos Aires without leaving Queens. The noise is real, the emotion is real, and when Argentina score — particularly if Messi scores — the street explodes. Take the 7 train to 82nd Street–Jackson Heights or 74th Street–Jackson Heights for the heart of it.

Best Argentine Bars and Restaurants for Watch Parties

The sports bars along Roosevelt Avenue and on 37th Avenue in Jackson Heights are the primary watch venues. Several restaurants on the avenue set up screens outside on match days and extend their hours. The key is arriving early — 45 minutes before kickoff minimum for Argentina matches. For the group stage matches (which kick off in the afternoon for Kansas City and Dallas time zones), the bars open for lunch and don't close until late.

Argentine Food to Eat During the Match

• Asado — Argentine BBQ, specifically the beef cuts: tira de asado (short ribs), vacío (flank steak), and morcilla (blood sausage). The communal Argentine meal that mirrors the communal World Cup experience.
• Empanadas — Baked pastry filled with beef, chicken, corn, or cheese. The Argentine empanada (baked, not fried) is a different thing from Colombian or Ecuadorian versions. Order a dozen and share.
• Chimichurri — The herb sauce that goes on everything Argentine. Parsley, garlic, olive oil, red wine vinegar, oregano. Never ketchup, never anything else.
• Malbec — Argentina's great contribution to wine culture. A full-bodied red from Mendoza that pairs perfectly with beef. Order it by the glass or bottle depending on how the match is going.
• Alfajores — Cookie sandwiches filled with dulce de leche (caramel), covered in chocolate or powdered sugar. The Argentine snack food of choice for watching football.

Messi at Inter Miami — The Local Angle

Messi has been playing for Inter Miami since July 2023. The club's home ground is in Fort Lauderdale, but their training facilities are in Harrison, New Jersey — directly across the Hudson from Manhattan. Inter Miami vs New York Red Bulls matches at Red Bull Arena in Harrison have drawn New York's Argentine community in numbers the MLS hasn't seen at that venue before. This community has been watching Messi in person, close up, for two years. The shift to the World Cup — Messi at MetLife Stadium for the Final, theoretically — feels like a natural continuation of something already underway.

Match Schedule & Tickets