The biggest tournament in soccer, if not the world, is being held in the U.S. this summer: The World Cup. And folks across Virginia are already celebrating the opening matches.
Crowds erupted when Mexico’s World Cup soccer team scored its first goal— and the first overall goal— of the 2026 World Cup Thursday. While games will be held in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, they won't be anywhere that close to Richmond. But for Sunny, a Richmonder who claims Mexican heritage, Cochilocco in Richmond’s Scotts Addition Neighborhood was the place to be for the tournament opener.
“It’s the energy man, the sport itself. It’s the most exciting thing to watch," Sunny told Radio IQ. "And once you gather up with people, that, the country you’re from, you gather around them, and you enjoy the time.”
That excitement - and the wall-to-wall guests - were great news to Cochiloco co-owner and chef Nelson Benavides. He's been in Richmond for 25 years but said the town needed a spot like his when he opened it two years ago.
“I wanted a place to make it feel like you were walking into Mexico," he said.
That made his spot the perfect place to catch the first game. And while he was excited for Mexico to win Thursday’s opener, like any true fan, he had some feedback for his favorite team.
“They needed to do a little more push, but, little by little, I hope they get better,” he quipped.
Benavides is headed to a game in Mexico later in the tourney, but most folks, like Jack— a Richmond local who was supposed to be at work, aren’t so lucky. Still, he loves the chance to celebrate an international event.
“Everyone here is so welcoming, yea know? You feel like you’re at home. And that’s kind of why you watch sports right? You’re there for your team. You’re people.”
The World Cup runs through mid-July. Many restaurants and venues across the state are holding special events. Roanoke's Grandin Theatre, for example, is showing all of the U.S. Men's National Team games in its big screen.
