Tips for Hosting the Best World Cup Party
The FIFA World Cup, the epitome of soccer events for both men’s and women’s soccer worldwide, is held every four years in a different host country and is an event in and of itself. That means that any event held in its honor—or utilizing its theme—needs to be big, bold and, beyond all else, fun!
Here are our easy-to-follow tips for making your 2014 World Cup Party the best one around.
How to Throw a World Cup Party
1) Choose a date, location, and time for your party.
The FIFA World Cup lasts about a month as 32 teams play each other for the championship. That being said, it’s important that you choose a particular date, time, and location for your 2014 World Cup Party. Choose a date and time when team USA is going to be playing so that your guests can cheer on their home country in festive style.
2) Learn the game. If you aren’t a big soccer fan or if you haven’t followed previous FIFA World Cups, we recommend studying up on the game! The FIFA World Cup website is a great place to start brushing up on who plays who, which teams are involved, and the general timeline for the World Cup event.
3) Plan your themed décor and entertainment. It won’t be difficult to create a themed atmosphere or figure out themed entertainment for your 2014 FIFA World Cup Party. The games themselves are the entertainment (so make sure you have some big screen televisions tuned into the matches), and all things soccer are a great way to get the decorations rolling! Soccer balls and gear, photos of team USA and past FIFA championships, flags from soccer-focused countries around the world—all of these will help get your FIFA World Cup Party guests fully immersed in World Cup spirit.
An added bonus for decorations when you’re throwing your FIFA World Cup party: the host country for 2014 is Brazil! That means that mixing in the green, yellow and blue flag, as well as the colors of that flag, in your World Cup party room is going to enhance the atmosphere and make your party a great one.
4) Figure out your event menu. Keep it simple and fun. Finger foods and fun foods are key in all sporting event-themed events—think mini burger sliders, mini hot dogs, a variety of chips, and other small-sized, fun, picnic-style items that will be easy to eat without taking eyes off the television screen. If you really want to get in the spirit of the soccer games, try any of these traditional soccer (football) food items served at matches around the world:
England & Scotland—pies (meat & potato, steak & kidney, cheese & onion)
Argentina—Choriopan (chorizo on toasted bread)
Switzerland—Alpengluehn (rarebit)
Turkey—Eskander (Turkish lamb burgers served with yogurt and tomato salsa on grilled bread)
Greece—Souvlaki (marinated grilled pork skewers)
Italy—Panzanella (bread salad with red onions, tomatoes, capers, olives, parsley and olive oil)
Better yet, if you want to continue bringing in some host country spirit, try adding any of these traditional easy-to-eat dishes from Brazil:
Acarajé (fried balls of black-eyed peas stuffed with shrimp and a vinaigrette)
Beijinho de Coco (coconut truffles)
Bolinho de Chuva (fried dough balls sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar)
Brigadeiro (chocolate truffles covered in chocolate sprinkles)
Coxinhas (small round balls of fried chicken and creamy cheese)
Pao de Queijo (tiny bread rolls baked with cheese in the center)
Keep the excitement alive by adding a traditional Brazilian drink to your menu. The national cocktail of Brazil is called the Caipirinha (made of cachaca liquor, lime and sugar), and it will bring an extra fun, refreshing element to your World Cup party. Learn how to make it here.
5) Set up for the event. Big televisions. Plenty of chairs. Tons of tables to support all of your bite-sized, fun soccer-themed foods. Decorations encompassing the sport of soccer, team USA, the colors of the host nation of Brazil. A drinks station filled with your guests’ favorite beverages (lemonade, beer, mixed drinks, you name it). Once you’ve got everything in place, you’re ready for your event.
6) Enjoy and have fun! After all of your planning and preparing, it’s time to enjoy the 2014 FIFA World Cup Party event that you’ve created. Kick back and enjoy the world’s largest single-event sporting competition!