The World Cup in Las Vegas: Pool parties, star-spangled dungarees and 480 cans of Tennent’s

The desert sun is beating down on a man wearing nothing but a cream cowboy hat, dazzling reflective sunglasses, and United States-flag swimming trunks. He is explaining why he has stripped down to watch his country’s latest World Cup game.

“Because, baby, it’s the World Cup, we’re watching the USA play Australia, we’re gonna wreck ‘em,” says Patch. “Look at this place, it’s beautiful, dude. Look at all these people, this is amazing, right?”

Welcome to the World Cup in Las Vegas.

Patch has flown in from San Diego with his wife Elizabeth and is dressed just right for Stadium Swim, the outdoor venue that provides a spectacular setting to watch sport.

The centrepiece is an enormous LED screen that measures 143 x 40 feet and comprises 14 million megapixels (professional cameras typically have fewer than 100 megapixels). Up close, it is a dominating presence, blasting out match footage not only of the USMNT’s 2-0 win against Australia but also, on slightly less colossal screens dotted either side, golf’s U.S. Open and the MLB baseball game between the Chicago Cubs and the Toronto Blue Jays.

This being Vegas, there is also space for live odds on all the action, inviting people to bet through an app on their phone as the games go on. Standing underneath it, where two bars are positioned, is a slightly disorienting experience due to its scale.

The real point of difference, though, is the pools. There are six in total, across two levels, with two spas on top, combining for 15,000 square feet of “wet space”, as Stadium Swim terms it. Two feature swim-up bars and dozens of fans are taking that chance to drink without leaving the water, which is cooling when temperatures are at 99F (37C).

There is capacity for 4,000 people, and dotted around are 28 cabanas, 200 chaise longues, 32 daybeds, 32 booths, eight water couches, four poolside boxes and two owner’s suites that can each host up to 25 guests.

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Many spectators momentarily shun that relaxation to stand for the Star-Spangled Banner before kick-off, several placing their hands on their hearts and singing along. There are U.S. flags everywhere.

Soon after, a waitress in a bikini brings a large bottle of Grey Goose vodka to one of the cabanas on the top level while firing bubbles from a plastic gun. Free shots of Jim Beam and juice are being handed out.

Derek Stevens, the owner of Circa, the hotel in downtown Las Vegas that hosts Stadium Swim, was the driving force behind the venue being built in 2020. He calls it “the world’s largest outdoor aquatheatre”, adding: “This is not your average experience you would get at a sports bar — this is where you can watch every single game going on. Bet on games, drink a little bit, have fun. I’m very excited to see all the people come from all over the world.”

Las Vegas isn’t hosting a World Cup match due to issues with FIFA’s demands over Allegiant Stadium — more of which later — but the city has a growing sporting scene and is still, for some at least, the place to come to enjoy the tournament.

The U.S. is dominating on game day but there are fans from other nations. Dean Nguyen is one of a handful wearing Australia colours. He has taken the 21-hour flight from Melbourne to tour the States and attend his sister’s wedding in Colorado.

He stands back and, laughing, opens his arm to introduce the scene behind him by way of explaining why he has chosen Vegas, and Stadium Swim in particular. “The screens are massive, heaps of different pools and daybeds, awesome venue,” he says. “I don’t think the locals know too much about soccer when I’ve had conversations with them, but it’s a good vibe, they are patriotic about the country, which is cool.”

Gerry Lynch is wearing a Scotland shirt as he sits on a sun lounger. “We came for a holiday, the football was always gonna be a bonus, we booked it before Scotland’s qualification and we hoped their games would be on the west coast,” he says. “We aren’t going to any games. We wish we were, when you see the footage from Boston.”

He watched Scotland’s first match against Haiti at Beer Park on the Strip, with around 40 other like-minded fans. “Vegas has been great,” he says.

James is wearing a red England shirt and bucket hat. “We went out for the first game in Dallas, England-Croatia, big result,” he says. “Singing Wonderwall at the end was crazy, the players looked so emotional. So I thought I’d come to Vegas, why not? Here for three nights, then fly back home. We’ll watch the games here then head out tonight. We got match tickets for about $250 (£190), the trip has probably cost a couple of grand all told.”

Up in a pool on the top deck is Val Rivera, from Southern California, who has a stars-and-stripes cowboy hat on her head. “I don’t really watch soccer, but, hey, a reason to day drink is always a good reason for me,” she says. “I’ve never been here. I love being able to get in the water and drink. It’s definitely different to anything I’ve ever been to.”

Inside, by the casino, Benjamin Kendall is here for the World Cup. He is wearing U.S.-flag style dungarees, a cowboy hat, and a tie made from red, blue and white sequins. “Dude, patriotism,” he says. “My wife is matching. It’s Las Vegas, you can dress how you want. I could take half of this stuff off and I’d still fit right in. I’ve never been to Stadium Swim, I’m excited. We’ve gotta splash, make some noise, score some goals.”

His wife Taylor says the big screen is the draw for her. Benjamin says this experience held more appeal than going to the games. “For starters, match ticket prices are crazy — it’s pretty much cheaper to stay in Las Vegas, watch a s***load of games. The energy in the city is unmatched, everyone is festive, everyone is celebrating the World Cup, all the countries are here, there is no better place,” he says.

On the U.S. competing in the World Cup, he adds: “It brings out more patriotism, it gives us something to cheer on the country about, which in America it’s kinda hard to come by — we’re split. The World Cup can bring people together.”

That seems accurate at this venue, at least, as Mauricio Pochettino’s team make light work of Australia. Wild cheers and waving flags greet both U.S. goals, especially after a VAR review allows for a build-up of anticipation to Alex Freeman’s second. 

Over at Circa’s Sportsbook, customers can gamble while they watch, the seats are cushioned and drinks have holders. It is the largest one in Vegas, holding 1,000 people across three stories, with a screen so big it takes 10 people to operate.

“The very first USA game last week, everything sold out,” says Stevens, sipping a Budweiser as he sits on a barstool at the Overhang Bar on the top floor. “You could tell there was pent-up energy for the World Cup. We noticed it on the very first game with Mexico. And Mexico, oh my gosh, the garage got packed, there was no parking left, then the amount of Ubers, the bar.

“This World Cup is very different to prior World Cups. The games are on at times Americans are used to. We’re calling it World Cup fever. Even people who aren’t usually fans. This is a really monumental day for soccer in the United States.”

Stevens, who owns The D and the Golden Gate nearby, draws the distinction between the World Cup and the Super Bowl. “Super Bowl is a single event, the World Cup is spread out over days, you need to pace yourself. I don’t know how some of these people plan on drinking 35 days straight, but they’re trying.”

In the Sportsbook, U-S-A chants go up at the final whistle and a man in a wheelchair decked in the stars-and-stripes, with LED sunglasses on his face, is handing out miniature flags.

Outside on Fremont Street, the scene is a lot quieter. Fans are not spilling into the streets to celebrate.

Taxi driver Ray has a blunt assessment: “I couldn’t give a f*** about the World Cup.”

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The Crown & Anchor is about a mile off the strip. It is a resolutely British pub, offering expats and tourists a familiar environment, the only real difference from home being the slot machines built into the bar, which one woman is playing as she sips her drink with her back to the televisions.

Everybody else is glued to the day’s 3pm World Cup game, with the majority being Scotland supporters as their team takes on Morocco. People are standing shoulder to shoulder, creating a sweaty atmosphere under the low roof, albeit still a few degrees cooler than outside.

Joe McLennan, who lives in Vegas, is wearing a bonnet and kilt. “I’m dressed for battle,” he says. “I’m originally from Texas, I went to the USA vs Paraguay game in Los Angeles, but I support Scotland because of my family heritage. Vegas is about the same as usual for this time of the year, but this pub is packed! Normally it’s not like this, we got plenty of Scottish fans in today from out of town.”

Just like their counterparts making such an impression on the other side of the States in Boston, those packed into the Crown & Anchor are doing their best to drink all the beer available. Owner Art Christiansen ordered 20 cases of Tennent’s, Scotland’s best-selling lager, but by half-time, all 480 cans have been sunk. He says: “For us the World Cup is huge, we are one of the few soccer bars in town. For the NFL, we get no turnout. It’s been packed for USA, Scotland, England and Mexico.”

Waitress Amanda says: “We are very grateful to have the World Cup, it’s been very slow, but now you see it. I’m not a big sports person but I’ve had an affinity for soccer since I’ve worked here.”

Beer goes flying in aborted celebration at Scott McTominay’s near miss at the end, and the Crown & Anchor empties as the final whistle blows on a disappointing defeat for Scotland.

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On the way to Caesars Palace, Kate Wik explains via a phone call the efforts being made to place Vegas as a World Cup destination despite not hosting any games. Wik is the chief marketing officer at Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA).

“FIFA absolutely wanted us to be a host city,” she says. “The spec of our stadium does not meet the standard of what they needed. They are very specific and not very flexible in terms of the ask around it. I don’t think there was feasibility to make any of the appropriate changes to get it to the right size.”

Allegiant Stadium, built only seven years ago at a cost of $1.9billion, is the home of the Las Vegas Raiders in the NFL but has put on soccer matches. However, the pitch area is relatively narrow, and meeting FIFA requirements would have meant moving thousands of lower-level seats and closing the stadium for nine months. Decision-makers in charge of the city declined.

Instead, Vegas is targeting a different World Cup impact. “We operate in such high volume with over 150,000 hotel rooms, it’s important that we are aligned with all of the major cultural events — World Cup or Olympics or a Super Bowl,” says Wik.

“We saw the World Cup as a huge opportunity. We positioned ourselves as the host city for the fans. Back in December, when the hype really started around the draw, we were actively marketing internationally through paid digital targeting of specific countries and soccer fans, also domestically. And then we’ve partnered with influencers to showcase what the experience is for the fan here.

“Vegas offers an experience for every budget. You can still be a part of the action and not have to pay the high rates some of the host cities have to charge to recoup their costs.”

At the check-in desk at Caesars Palace, hotelier Pablo provides anecdotal evidence. “It would be bigger if we had a World Cup game,” he says. “But we see all the jerseys.”

At Caesars Sportsbook, the shirts on show are Brazilian.

Shirley Santos, from Espirito Santo, is in Vegas with her mother Gel to show her friend Tai the city for the first time. “We love the movie Hangover, so we wanted to stay at Caesars because of that. We planned to coincide with Brazil playing. I wish I could have tickets but unfortunately those for Brazil’s first game were starting at $1,900.

“I already encountered some Brazilians as I walked in, but not as many as I thought I might.”

Tim Donahue, from Denver, stands up to applaud as Brazil beat Haiti 3-0. He is wearing a Brazil shirt. “I’m in Vegas for my daughter’s 21st birthday, but I love the World Cup,” he says. “I’ve always loved Brazil football, supported them since 1998. I went to the Brazil-Morocco game in New York, expensive but great, the ticket cost $1,500. I like South American football, my wife is from Peru. I knew there was a sportsbook here, I wouldn’t miss it.”  

Sportsbooks are dotted all over Vegas, every major casino has one. At full time of the U.S. game at Circa there was a queue of people to collect their winnings. At Caesars Palace, Tim was never going to be one of them.

“I didn’t move during the game but I’m going to gamble now,” he says. “I never bet on the games, not football, because anything can happen. I just want to watch the game.”

Later in the taxi rank, six friends — three guys and three girls, all wearing Brazil shirts (although two cousins are from Peru) — are just getting back from watching the game at Wahoo’s Fish Taco, a Mexican-Brazilian fusion restaurant on Flamingo Road. Douglas, from Porto Alegre, moved to Vegas and met Tony through playing football.

Douglas says: “It was really good at Wahoo’s, a lot of Brazilians there, 50-plus; people were dancing, screaming, then the songs played between the breaks, they had Brazilian food, making us feel really welcome. We don’t have any games here so people are not coming that much, but Vegas is so close to LA so some are coming.”

Tony adds: “Although we didn’t have a fan fest in Vegas, I’m glad there are bars pulling people in. We’ve been to multiple. The Mexican, German, Brazilian ones are the best. We’ve watched almost all the games.”

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For John Penhollow, president of business operations for Vegas Golden Knights, who lost the Stanley Cup final last weekend to Carolina Hurricanes, the cosmopolitan feel is always visible and that, in part, is prompting a rise in sport action in the city.

The Knights were started in 2017 by a consortium led by Bill Foley, who owns Premier League football club Bournemouth. “Our team packs in 17,000-plus every night for 45 nights plus post-season, full arena of raucous people, and that’s just us,” says Penhollow. “The fans here are every bit as passionate as anywhere else, they just didn’t have a team to necessarily cheer for until the Golden Knights arrived. Couple that with the fact that there are a good number of people who aren’t from here originally, they all have their own story. 

“But also, visitors. You can do it all here. Hiking, restaurants, music, casinos. The Super Bowl is a great example. The Super Bowl was somewhere else this year, yet it’s still a big deal in Vegas.”

And the World Cup? “It feeds off what I just shared with you. People all have their own story. They’re all from somewhere, or their parents were from somewhere. Every game that’s been on I’ve noticed you have really passionate people watching it on beautiful displays that look like they’re there.”

Work on the new baseball stadium to house the Athletics when they move from Oakland in 2028 is well under way next to the MGM Grand, while The Athletic has reported that the Vancouver Whitecaps may relocate to give Vegas an MLS team. The UFC is based in the city, and boxing remains a major feature, with rumours the Tyson Fury-Anthony Joshua could take place in Vegas.

Laurie Pinto, a sports financier who stays in Vegas when he is on business in the States, predicts more sports teams moving to the city. “What’s not to love, right? People say, ‘Do you think they’ll fill the stadiums?’. They’ll fill them in 20 minutes. It’s a lot of travelling people. You can go to a lacrosse game and there’ll be 8,000 people there from Saskatchewan in Canada down for the weekend.

“It sounds crazy, it’s changed from being a pure gambling place, to sport and gaming and entertainment. The rise of in-game betting is going to change everything.”

Wik accepts the pandemic hit numbers but says Vegas recovered faster than anywhere else in the country for tourism. “We’re seeing strong numbers from the luxury traveller,” she says. “Where we’re losing some of our volume is a little bit on the international side, from our Canadian visitors, unfortunately, we miss them. There’s a little bit of a political landscape.

“We see from the research we do that satisfaction numbers are so positive for Vegas that once people do get here, they’re having an unbelievable time.”

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That seems the case back on Fremont as Turkey’s match against Paraguay kicks off. The street is bustling with revellers as performers in massive gorilla suits pretend to fight, a singer covers Lionel Richie’s All Night Long, an Elvis impersonator murders Can’t Help Falling in Love, and people fly overhead on the zip line under the roof that shows all different shapes and colours. Earlier in the day, it had displayed the U.S. flag.

Bars called Electric Mushroom and Discopussy are pumping out music.

There is little hint of what would become a decisive World Cup match, ending in Turkey’s exit. Not even the Istanbul Mediterranean restaurant is showing it.

Taco Escobar, a Mexican restaurant, does have the game on its screens, but nobody inside is paying attention. 

Back at Caesars Palace, the queue outside the world-famous Omnia nightclub is big. One of those in it, Bronson Taylor, is visiting purely for fun, but will leave with an impression from the World Cup.

“One of my best friends was on a road trip across the country and invited us to join him in Vegas,” he says. “I never really watched the World Cup or soccer so it didn’t influence me to come. But being in Vegas during the World Cup has definitely had a positive impact on my trip. I’ve met many fans of many clubs and their enthusiasm is unmatched. Now I’m on the search for who I want to call my team for years to come.”

DJ Steve Aoki, who is headlining, seems to have been watching England at least. He drops Wonderwall near the end of his set, to a sing-along from the packed dancefloor.