World Cup fever has swept across Brooklyn, as the global soccer tournament fuels excitement and pride in many of the borough's immigrant communities. From Haitian fans in Flatbush to Mexican and Ecuadorian supporters in Sunset Park, thousands have come together to celebrate both their teams and their cultural heritage.
This year marks Haiti’s return to the World Cup after 52 years, while Mexico is co-hosting the tournament for the third time and advanced past the knockout phase of the tournament for the first time in 40 years.
“I was excited for Flatbush,” said Aliffer Zamira Sabek, originally from Venezuela. “I was excited for the Caribbean parts of Brooklyn and going to see games in a predominantly Haitian neighborhood and seeing people be excited and have something to celebrate.”
As Haiti failed to proceed to the Round of 16, there was both disappointment and pride felt among the diaspora.
“It’s a mixed feeling, because I know we could have done better, but based on the way the coach set up the team, we haven’t been able to,” said Alex Stephen, who rooted for Haiti at Lakou Cafe in Crown Heights.
As Mexico prepares to play England on Sunday, fans were enjoying the team's every win. Joel Silva, who recently moved to Brooklyn from Houston, watched the Mexico vs Czechia game in Bushwick, as hundreds of fans spilled into the streets wearing lucha libre masks and lighting fireworks.
“We have a big Mexican community in Texas, but it feels really good to have just as much as a community here in New York,” Silva said. “So it feels really welcoming and really like home base. I know more than half of these people have work tomorrow, and right now nobody cares.”
The global sports tournament encouraged immigrant communities to celebrate their cultural heritage rather than focusing on politics.
“We’re being seen in another light, because all they know about Haiti is gang and insecurity. But being able to be at a stadium with everybody, chanting, dancing, partying, it’s like there’s another side of Haiti that people can see,” Stephen said.
Sabek said she felt a special connection to Haiti as a Venezuelan national.
“I am specifically supporting Haiti because they are the first free Black nation,” Sabek said while tearing up. “Haiti actually helped liberate Venezuela, so part of my own culture and my own upbringing is to know that my own country became free because of Haiti. Multiple countries owe their freedom to Haiti.”
That said, the Haitian community in Brooklyn is facing uncertainty after the Supreme Court allowed the Trump administration to remove Temporary Protection Status for thousands of Haitians last week.
“It’s always frustrating to see rights and opportunities being stripped of communities, but I think Haiti being already more visible because of the Cup has also helped raise awareness of this issue and I’ve seen more people from outside the diaspora voicing discontent with the ruling than I expected,” Nelson said.
For some immigrants, the World Cup felt like a unifying force for the diaspora.
Jorge, who declined to disclose his last name, reflected on both the opportunities and the challenges immigrants face in the U.S.
“We came all the way from Puebla, and from every state, to represent our beautiful Mexico,” he said in Spanish. “We’re here to show that we came to work, to fight for our dreams — and honestly, we aren’t here to cause harm, but to help each other out."
