2022 FIFA World Cup: DC region gets excited for games to kick off
WASHINGTON - Sunday morning marks the beginning of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, with host nation Qatar and Ecuador kicking off the action in the opening game.
A recent study by Gamling.com said DMV residents were most excited for the tournament.
Tanvi Bhargava lives in Falls Church and is ready.
"It’s one of my favorite things to watch," Bhargava said.
Alex Furno lives in Silver Spring, and will tune in particularly to cheer on the U.S. team
"We’ll see how far they get," Furno said.
There’s hope in the district that the tournament could be good for business.
In this photo illustration, an official FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 ball sits on display in front of the skyline of Doha ahead of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 draw on March 31, 2022 in Doha, Qatar. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)
A few months ago, D.C. Council passed and Mayor Muriel Bowser signed the World Cup Emergency Amendment Act of 2022. The bill allows bars who request and receive an exemption to be able to serve alcohol from 6 a.m. to 4 a.m. the next day for the duration of the tournament.
According to ABRA, the district’s alcohol regulation arm, 121 bars are approved.
"Well one, it’s something that every four years everybody is just sort of up in arms about. It’s nice that this year in particular, we can really come back as a DC Community and celebrate ‘futbol’", said Andra "AJ" Johnson, managing partner at Serenata inside La Cosecha near Union Market.
Johnson says the restaurant will offer drink specials that correspond to the teams playing.
Johnson will open the bar early, with staff starting around their normal time. But the feedback she’s hearing from friends is that she’ll be busy.
"A lot of people are going to be here," Johnson said.
Same story at Hook Hall off Georgia Avenue in Northwest D.C. Assistant General Manager Daniel Gonzales. As of Saturday night, he was expecting between 80 and 100 people first thing Monday morning and then larger numbers as the day wears on.
For the U.S. vs. England Match on Black Friday on FOX 5, Gonzalez says he’s expecting a minimum of 300 people.
Gonzales says his staff knows this is a big opportunity.
"Yeah, we’re going to be open at seven in the morning. It was a bit of a challenge, but everybody’s on board, we’re excited to see some games," Gonzales says.