# City hosting free World Cup watch party downtown **Published:** 2026-06-30T16:14:51Z **Source:** City of Lexington Mayor's Office (press release, emailed to editor@lexingtonky.news) **AI-generated:** yes (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) **Canonical:** https://feeds.lexingtonky.news/article/city-hosting-free-world-cup-watch-party-downtown LEXINGTON, Ky. — Lexington announced plans for a free, family-friendly watch party to cheer on the U.S. men's national team in a critical FIFA World Cup match against Bosnia and Herzegovina on July 1, [according to the city's Mayor's Office](https://www.lexingtonky.gov). The event will take place at 8 p.m. at the [Kentucky Theatre's adjoining State Theatre](https://www.kentuckytheatre.org), 214 E. Main St., with doors opening at 7 p.m. The match will kick off at 8 p.m. ET from [Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California](https://www.fifa.com/en/tournaments/mens/worldcup/canadamexicousa2026). Seating will be available on a first-come, first-served basis, with approximately 350 seats available. Mayor Linda Gorton said in a statement that the watch party offers a chance to celebrate both the Fourth of July and Team USA's World Cup run. "As we prepare to celebrate the Fourth of July, we're also celebrating America's run in the FIFA World Cup," she said. "We invite our community to join us to cheer on Team USA." The event is sponsored by the city, [FOX 56](https://www.fox56lexington.com/), and the Kentucky Theatre. Members of the [Lexington Sporting Club](https://www.lexsporting.com) will be in attendance to meet fans and sign autographs. The club will sell USA-themed merchandise and offer free photo opportunities with the women's championship trophy, won by the U.S. last month. "The way soccer has captivated Lexington this month has been so much fun, and we're excited to help bring our community together for this critical match," said David Simms, Director of Marketing at Lexington Sporting Club, in a statement. "Whether you're a lifelong supporter of the game, or tuning in for the very first time, we hope fans from across the Bluegrass join us to cheer on the U.S Men's National Team." The Round of 32 match marks the knockout stage of the tournament. Team USA advanced as [the top seed in Group D](https://www.espn.com/soccer/) after wins over Paraguay and Australia, though the team lost to Turkey in their final group match. ## Sources - [Mayor's Office announcement of World Cup watch party event](https://www.lexingtonky.gov) - [Kentucky Theatre historic downtown venue](https://www.kentuckytheatre.org) - [FIFA World Cup 2026 match information](https://www.fifa.com/en/tournaments/mens/worldcup/canadamexicousa2026) - [Lexington Sporting Club community involvement](https://www.lexsporting.com) - [ESPN World Cup coverage and group standings](https://www.espn.com/soccer/) --- This article was generated by AI (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) from a press release emailed to editor@lexingtonky.news by City of Lexington Mayor's Office, enriched with 3 web searches.