Watching the World Cup in Amsterdam

Soccer, or voetbal (direct translation is “football”) is a pretty big deal in the Netherlands. Amsterdam’s team is Ajax, and if you ever want to see them play, dress in red and white and head to the Amsterdam Arena (orange if you’re watching a national level match).  Getting to the stadium is very easy by public transport; you’ll just have to take the metro a few stops out of the city center and get off at the stop called “Bijlmer ArenA”.

If there is an important game happening, many local bars around the Leidseplein and Rembrandtplein will be showing it on their televisions or screens. It is not uncommon to see a group of merry beer drinkers spilling out onto the sidewalk to discuss the events of the game. And if there is a really important game, say, the World Cup, and the Netherlands are doing well, outdoor screens pop up around the city so enthusiastic fans can watch the game and party on the streets.

If you want to watch the World Cup in Amsterdam, your best bet is to head over to Coco’s Outback in Rembrandtplein or the Tara in the old city center. Both bars have big screens, lots of comfortable couches, booths and chairs, and the crowd is an enthusiastic mix of locals and expats. At the moment it doesn’t look like the Netherlands will play, but if they do keep an eye out for outdoor screens in public squares. There are no plans at the moment to create any such public viewing spaces, but keep checking this blog, because if there are – I’ll tell you where to find them!