SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — With the World Cup in North America this year, excitement is building around the tournament — but for at least one San Diego bar, the surge in soccer fans is nothing new.
The owner and employees of Bluefoot Bar in North Park say they've been noticing more soccer fans in San Diego for several years now.
Rodney Styles was a bit worried when he moved to the U.S. from England about 11 years ago.
"Being a soccer fanatic as I am," Styles said.
He was worried the soccer scene wouldn't be as big as he was used to. But what he found was a more diverse fan base.
"Every team, every country, the Colombians, the Brazilians, Argentinians, Canadians, USA, Mexicans," Styles said.
Styles is the Director of Football at Bluefoot Bar. The bar is owned by Adam Cook, who also owns Fairplay up the street. The two locations hosted a watch party for the Mexico game against South Africa on Thursday.
"We hit capacity at both locations, and the atmosphere was amazing," Cook said.
Soccer is the most watched sport worldwide, but in the U.S., sports like football, basketball, and baseball are usually more popular. Both men say that in recent years, the soccer fan base in San Diego has grown significantly. The arrival of professional soccer teams like San Diego FC and San Diego Wave has been a big plus.
"Americans actually are getting it now a little bit more. They're seeing the South Americans, how they celebrate, the Europeans, how they celebrate, the Real Madrid fans, the Barcelona fans, El Clasico game," Styles said.
Both men believe the World Cup will only help boost the local fan base.
"I can only see it growing and growing and growing here," Styles said.
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