Hundreds of attendees gather for FIFA World Cup watch party at The Bay

By Ian Swaby
| 3:55 p.m. June 15, 2026

Sarasota
Neighbors

The FIFA World Cup is regarded as the most widely viewed sporting event in the world.

Despite the heat on June 14, hundreds of attendees gathered at The Bay to watch the event on the park's stadium-style screen, at the Watch Party Kickoff Festival.

The broadcast featured the matches Germany vs. Curaçao and Netherlands vs. Japan. Meanwhile, attendees could enjoy other activities including a 3v3 Round Robin Community Tournament by Sarasota Paradise, and the chance to meet players and coaches from the organization.

Among those individuals was Trevor Sinclair, a former FIFA competitor who is the current head assistant coach at the Lakewood Ranch-based soccer club, and who served as the event's special guest.

Sinclair came to Sarasota from Dubai, on a two-year contract, after he was offered the role last year.

"It took about two seconds. I said, get me involved. And I've been here ever since," he said.

He called World Cup "huge" and said it brought back a lot of memories of the time he competed in the event, playing for England in 2002.

"I'd rather be there competing than here, but the next best thing is being involved in coaching," he said.

He said the event was an opportunity for Sarasota Paradise to get into the community and build its fanbase.

He also praised the experience of "being here and being part of this event, and watching the World Cup play out in front of our eyes with a load of fans that love the game of soccer, which has become a global game now, one of the fastest rising sports in the world."

Leanne Varney twirls a plate with The Circus Arts Conservatory.

Soccer ball decorations hang from a tree.

Mariana Domingues and Pamela Kurpiewski watch a game.

Timon Sofka, 4, his mother Veronika Sofka and his brother Maxim Sofka, 6, enjoy an afternoon of soccer.

Enzo Gentry, 7, Olivia Escorcia, 9, and her brother Marcus Escorcia, 7, play on the green.

Grady Heffernan, 10, plays in the tournament.

Trevor Sinclair speaks with Mike Eolvaara, head coach and technical director at Sarasota Paradise.

Ethan Winzeler, 12, does the hula hoop with The Circus Arts Conservatory.

Cassidy Russell, 11, twirls hula hoops with The Circus Arts Conservatory.

Declan Watters, centerback for Sarasota Paradise, signs shoes and a soccer ball for Roman Brenner, 7, and Berlin Fronczak, 7.

author

Ian Swaby

Ian Swaby is the Sarasota neighbors writer for the Observer. Ian is a Florida State University graduate of Editing, Writing, and Media and previously worked in the publishing industry in the Cayman Islands.