California venues cancel World Cup watch parties over violence and overcrowding ahead of Mexico-England match
California officials are shutting down or tightening security at World Cup watch parties after celebrations following Mexico’s 2026 FIFA World Cup victories repeatedly erupted into violence, forcing police to respond to shootings, stabbings, street takeovers and attacks on law enforcement.Universal Studios Hollywood has already pulled the plug on its public viewing events.“Universal Studios Hollywood has ended World Cup watch parties at CityWalk for the remainder of the tournament,” Inside Universal posted on Facebook.In San Francisco, SPARK Social SF canceled all remaining World Cup watch parties after a shooting Tuesday night near its Mission Bay location.The gunfire broke out around 9 p.m.near Mission Bay Boulevard and Fourth Street.
Officers found two people suffering from gunshot wounds.Both victims were hospitalized and are expected to survive, while the suspected gunman fled the scene, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.San Jose is also abandoning its downtown watch party setup after unrest surrounding Mexico’s 2-0 victory over Ecuador.City officials announced that Sunday’s official watch parties for the Brazil-Norway and Mexico-England matches will be moved from San Pedro Square to the larger, ticketed venues at Discovery Meadow and SAP Center following violence that left two people stabbed and another man dead in separate incidents near the downtown celebrations.Tuesday night’s festivities descended into disorder after Mexico’s win, with two people stabbed in separate altercations.
Police declared an unlawful assembly near Santa Clara Street and Almaden Avenue shortly before midnight and ordered crowds to disperse.Authorities said the stabbing victims suffered injuries that were not life-threatening, and several arrests were made.The San Jose Police Department said most fans celebrated responsibly, but a disruptive group turned the celebration into chaos by fighting, setting off illegal fireworks in packed crowds, climbing onto an ambu...