Chicago's melting pot of global citizens makes it easily one of the most thrilling places to be (outside of Brazil) for this year's World Cup. From the Pilsen bars decked with Mexican flags to the face-painted fans at DANK Haus cheering on Germany's Die Mannschaft ("The Team"), there's an outpost for virtually every fan of the 32 teams vying for the golden trophy.
Fans of Team USA have it especially good since the Windy City just happens to be the home base of none other than the United States Soccer Federation. The governing body of American soccer is hosting three free, massive viewing parties in Grant Park during the The Yanks first-round matches:
- June 16: USA vs. Ghana (5 p.m.): Arvey Field; near Columbus Drive and Roosevelt Road intersection in Grant Park
- June 22: USA vs. Portugal (5 p.m.): Arvey Field; near Columbus Drive and Roosevelt Road intersection in Grant Park
- June 26: USA vs. Germany (11 a.m.): Petrillo Music Shell at Butler Field; near Columbus Drive and Jackson Street intersection in Grant Park
For all other games, a bar or restaurant with a basic cable package (matches will be broadcast on ABC, ESPN and Univision) is the best bet for game-day viewing. And with plenty of sports bars hopping aboard the soccer bandwagon, many of the city's watering holes have food and drink specials aplenty throughout the month-long tournament.
Here's a map of where to watch the World Cup matches in Chicago, sorted by country the crowd will likely be supporting. Though this list is far from comprehensive (and is missing a few countries -- our apologies to Bosnia and Hercegovina!), we'd love your input in making this list even better. Know a good bar or restaurant that's affiliated with a country in the tournament: Drop us a line at at Chicago@huffingtonpost.com and we'll add it.
See other maps for New York City and DC.