Spain’s World Cup run draws new fans across New York
As Spain heads into the World Cup final, New York watch parties are filling with longtime supporters and fans whose teams have gone out.
By Daniel Okafor · Business Editor
3 min read
Spain’s run to the World Cup final has turned its New York gathering spots into crowded centers of support, Al Jazeera reported from Manhattan. The team’s appeal has grown beyond Spanish fans, drawing neutrals and supporters from other communities before the title match.
At La Nacional, the Spanish Benevolent Society in Chelsea, executive director Robert Sanfiz told Al Jazeera he was still receiving late requests for “VIP” places at a final watch party even though the venue was already full. The nonprofit and its restaurant have filled throughout the six-week tournament with supporters of La Roja, according to Al Jazeera.
Sanfiz, 57, told Al Jazeera that Spain’s 2010 World Cup win helped revive the 150-year-old organization, which was founded to support Spanish immigrants arriving in New York. He said the surrounding Spanish enclave has largely faded, but La Nacional remains a place for Spaniards who miss home.
He recalled fans crowding outside in 2010 to watch Spain’s final against the Netherlands through the window as the country won its first World Cup. This time, Sanfiz told Al Jazeera that the team’s steady play under manager Luis de la Fuente and the emergence of 19-year-old forward Lamine Yamal had made him calmer, though he planned to keep busy during the final by managing the crowd outside.
Support spreads beyond Spain fans
Al Jazeera reported that Spain’s red shirts were less visible across New York than Argentina’s colors, but Spanish supporters said their backing was intense. On Saturday, fans gathered at Mercado Little Spain in Midtown Manhattan, a Spanish food hall opened by chef José Andrés, who was also seen there, according to Al Jazeera.
Javier Vriz, 38, told Al Jazeera he traveled from Chicago and planned to attend the final. He said longtime Spain fans were used to disappointment, but this squad kept winning while staying committed to a style based on control, positioning and collective play.
Spain has also attracted what Al Jazeera described as World Cup “orphans”: fans whose preferred teams were eliminated earlier in the knockout rounds. That group includes some supporters of Latin American teams, with Argentina’s run creating friction among fans from the region, according to Al Jazeera.
Rolando Sanchez, a 26-year-old Bronx resident who had supported Mexico before its round-of-16 loss to England, told Al Jazeera that some Mexican fans had turned against Argentina. Sanchez said he respected Lionel Messi but saw Spain’s players as the future.
Arab and African communities add to the backing
Al Jazeera reported that Yamal’s Moroccan family ties and Spain’s recognition of Palestinian statehood have helped the team gain support in Arab communities in New York, including Brooklyn’s Little Palestine. Spain has also drawn support from parts of the city’s West African community, according to Al Jazeera.
That support reflects both the backgrounds of Spanish players and views of Spain’s policies toward African migrants, Al Jazeera reported. Yamal’s mother is from Equatorial Guinea, and winger Nico Williams’s parents are from Ghana.
Ousman Saho, a Bronx-based coach originally from The Gambia, told Al Jazeera that Spain’s approach to labor integration and legal status for undocumented migrants was motivating. Saho said he had wanted Senegal to win the tournament but now hoped Spain’s young players, including Yamal, Williams and midfielder Gavi, would earn a major title.
Mamadou Diabate, 36, who coaches Los Espanoles FC in the Bronx, told Al Jazeera he was proud of Ivory Coast’s group-stage performance, including its 1-0 win over Ecuador. He said Spain still had a special place for him because of the way the team shows teamwork and the beauty of the sport.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.