There’s no time for advertisements during this World Cup watch party’s hydration break. Instead, drag queens take the floor. One sports a sparkly green dress with pearls in the outline of a soccer field. Another wears a colorful, cropped training jacket.
On Thursday in Jessie Square, Pride House SF hosted a World Cup watch party. Through the afternoon, fans gathered to watch Japan and Sweden tie, then take in the group winner United States lose in its final opening stage game against Türkyie, which had already been eliminated. San Francisco Drag Laureate Per Sia hosted the afternoon, decked in all gold and black heelless boots, while prompting the audience to root for its respective teams.
Attendee Charlotte Yip, who had a Japan and United States flag on either cheek, searched for a watch party. She didn’t want to just sit at home and wanted to instead see people cheering on their teams. She was curious to see what a Pride Watch Party would be like. Yip said it was: “two birds with one stone.”
Many cheeks weren’t limited to just national flags but pride flags, too — some also had glitter. Per Sia passed out ribbon wands that turned into ways to celebrate big goals or saves, especially when Christian Pulisic returned to the field after his injury in the U.S.’s opening match on June 12.
Between the two matches, one drag performer taught a brief voguing course and then performed. Per Sia took the U.S. vs. Türkiye halftime break to dance through the crowd to the 1998 World Cup song by Ricky Martin, “The Cup of Life,” asking the crowd, “Do you really want it?”
The drag host, Per Sia, interacting with the crowd at the World Cup x Pride event on June 25, 2026. Photo by Zoe Malen. 
Attendee at the World Cup x Pride event on June 25, 2026. Photo by Zoe Malen. 
Attendees representing USA at the World Cup x Pride event on June 25, 2026. Photo by Zoe Malen. 
Per Sia, drag host, struts around in invisible heel platforms at the World Cup x Pride event on June 25, 2026. Photo by Zoe Malen. 
Attendees watching the performances at the World Cup x Pride event on June 25, 2026. Photo by Zoe Malen.
Per Sia has a big weekend of pride events ready, but has recently embraced her “sport era,” hosting both the watch party and a Valkyries game this weekend. She said she is disappointed with the Giants right now.
Most of her life, Per Sia hasn’t been very sporty. She said all kinds of people love sports, but often queer people are left out.
“Events like this are so amazing and important so that the little ones and the big ones like me really feel included,” Per Sia said. “Because sports has no gender, really, when you think about it. Of course, it’s just an activity and so why should we make it so gendered?”
Yip attended with Darwin Hernandez, wanting to watch among other passionate fans. Hernandez’s family isn’t super passionate about soccer, at least not like he is. Pride was another great thing about the event, he said.
“Being here to support the pride community and everything, it’s just really nice to see, especially in the city of San Francisco, which I think is very progressive,” Hernandez said.
Another attendee, who stayed through the whole event, Soad Kader,, said she’s been celebrating Pride all month as well as attending other watch parties with Hernan Gomez. Gomez won one of three rounds of trivia, the soccer round. The next two rounds were Pride and San Francisco.
Kader’s also been a soccer fan her whole life — which she showed through her outfit. Her hand-sewn pants and shirt set was made from all of her old jerseys that don’t fit anymore. They were both club and national teams, including Egypt, where she grew up, Venezuela and the United States. A rainbow jacket and “love always wins” soccer ball pin topped off the outfit. “I definitely planned it all out, supporting the whole event,” Kader said.
Soad Kader wearing a pride themed soccer pin at the World Cup x Pride event on June 25, 2026. Photo by Zoe Malen. 
Kim Alvardo’s rainbow nails reading “Copa Mundial” — which means “World Cup” in spanish — holding a bedazzled soccer ball purse at the World Cup x Pride event on June 25, 2026. Photo by Zoe Malen. 
Kim Alvardo representing pride with rainbow makeup and cheering for USA at the World Cup x Pride event on June 25, 2026. Photo by Zoe Malen.
Kim Alvarado is also a big soccer fan, but had to convince a friend to join, as she did for her birthday watch party. She continued the Pride celebrations at Beaux, a Gay bar in the Castro, Thursday night and has plans to go to Dolores Park and other parties this weekend.
“It’s a really unifying event, even though men are playing,” Alvarado said.
She also came out to represent both aspects of the event: rainbow makeup, a soccer ball purse, a USA shirt and rainbow nails with “Copa Mundial” on top. Alvarado said she was surprised to see a crossover event like this.
“It’s about inclusivity, and so events like this really make people happy and make you feel like you belong,” Per Sia said.
