Discovery Green, Dynamo watch party among places to see World Cup finale

Soccer fans will gather at bars, barbecues and backyard gatherings around Houston on Sunday morning to watch the World Cup finale as 2-to-1 favorite France battles first-ever finalist Croatia for the coveted prize.

Enthusiasts and Johnnycome-latelies also may join the merriment at the FIFA World Cup Watch Party at Discovery Green, where soccer clinics will be offered.

Those looking to grab a pint may congregate at the Dynamo’s official watch spot, Pitch 25 Beer Park near BBVA Compass Stadium in the East End, which is offering telecasts in English and Spanish as well as DJ-spun music, food trucks and a raffle. Also airing the game are the Phoenix in Montrose, which shows the final on all screens, the Richmond Arms in the Galleria, a regular soccer hub, the Beer Market Co. in Midtown and Bar Munich on Louisiana.

The 90-minute game starts at 10 a.m., making it a 6 p.m. kickoff for the players at the 81,000capacity Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow. Both teams claim red, white and blue as their colors.

The French team, known as Les Bleus, or The Blues, defeated Uruguay and then Belgium in a nail-biter to make the cut. France has qualified for 14 tournaments, beginning at the inaugural World Cup in 1930, but has won the title only once, in 1998.

The Croatian team, known as Vatreni, or The Blazers, beat Russia and upset England against all expectations to make it to the finale. The country, with a population just under Harris County’s, has participated in the World Cup five times. Prior to independence, Croatians played for the Yugoslavia team, which appeared in eight World Cup tournaments.

Statistically speaking, Harris County has more French nationals than Croatian nationals who may show up to cheer. According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey from 2016, Harris County has 3,928 residents from France and approximately 89 from Croatia.