JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — World Cup fever is everywhere right now!
Hundreds of people packed The Block on Jacksonville’s Southside to cheer on Team USA Friday afternoon.
The Block, Culhane’s Irish Pub, and other local eateries were all packed with fans hours before kickoff.
>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<
“Last time we got here right when the game was about to start and we didn’t make it in, so we made sure we got here extra early today,” said one Jacksonville couple at The Block.
No matter the outcome of Friday’s game on Lumen Field, something special is happening on our own turf.
“Jax is doing all kinds of things. They’re opening up all kinds of spaces, so we had to watch the World Cup,” said another fan at The Block.
FIFA estimates more than one billion people worldwide watched the opening match.
“It’s pretty exciting to see people cheer for their cultures, their team,” said Char the Mixologist at Alien Taco.
[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]
A win for Team USA is also a win for the U.S. and local economies.
“We’re like a community, local bar and we’ve really embraced the community and bring them in. They’re coming in right now. It’s going to be packed here. It’s going to be awesome. I’m excited,” said Brian Russel at Culhane’s Irish Pub on Atlantic Beach.
FIFA’s Economic Impact Study predicts the World Cup will bring a $30 billion bump to the U.S. economy.
“We’re playing really well. We’ve got the whole country behind us. Look at all these fans here,” said Andy, a Team USA fan at the Block.
[SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.
