From Street Soccer USA:

As the sun rose over JFK Promenade on Sunday morning, Dec. 18, thousands of people gathered in the Golden Gate Park to watch the stunning finale of the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Neither cold nor early hours could keep fans away, who started trickling into the park with their friends, families, and animal companions as early as 5:30 a.m. to get a front-row seat.

The final match between Argentina and France kept the audience on the edge of their seats until the last moment, culminating in a nail-biting victory for Argentina and Lionel Messi after nearly 3 hours of play. Fans stayed long after the victory to celebrate, sing, play soccer and enjoy the surrounding beauty of the park. 

With this Sunday’s final match ended San Francisco’s World Cup Village, a whirlwind 10-day series that brought a spotlight and cheering fans to Golden Gate Park, Union Square, Civic Center, The Crossing at East Cut, and even the Warfield. These events hosted an estimated 9,000+ attendees over the series, showcasing the beauty of our City and uplifting local small businesses from food trucks to musicians, from dancers to face painters. 

As Phil Ginsburg said as he addressed a sprawling crowd on Sunday, we showed that we are a great soccer city. Moreover, alongside partners including the Proud Maroons (Qatar’s first LGBT soccer fan club), Larkin Street Youth, LGBT Asylum Project, Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, Bayview United and others, we shared what soccer could and should be: a means to advance inclusion, equity, and build community. This is the vision we will carry forward as a city, using our collective voices to define who we are and what we stand for.