By Stefan Oliva
Summer of Soccer is landing, and it’s not just a marketing pitch. All 11 U.S. cities hosting 2026 World Cup games will have waves of people from all over the globe ready to welcome and cheer on their players. While no matches will be played in Rhode Island, Providence is slightly closer to Foxborough’s Gillette Stadium than host city Boston. Seven games will be played in the Massachusetts arena between June 13th and July 9th, making Rhode Island’s capital very desirable. “Even from a cost perspective, Rhode Island kind of wins in a lot of categories,” said Jeremy Duffy, co-chair of The Pawtucket Foundation, “a private advocacy group” that focuses on economic development.
Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee says throughout the tournament, about one million people travel through the Providence metro area, with a possible economic impact of more than $330 million. Organizations like the Rhode Island Small Business Development Center are holding summits to help local businesses maximize that revenue. Tourists and soccer fans will want to take advantage of the state’s pristine beaches, seafood, restaurants, and bars by the water. “We like to joke that [Pawtucket] is like the Brooklyn to Providence,” said Duffy.
The world’s biggest sporting event couldn’t have come at a better time because the Rhode Island Football Club (RIFC) will still be playing as the World Cup happens. What do both fans have in common? Passion, a sense of community, and diversity. The state boasts several outlets for supporters to channel all those elements. Rhode Island has just over one million people, of which about 190,000 (as of 2022) are Latino. There is also a prominent Portuguese community in the state and surely many Ghanans will flock to Providence because the Black Stars are using Bryant University as their World Cup base camp. Hence, many local shops will ramp up their merchandise sales for international fans and visitors.
Besides RIFC’s store at the team’s headquarters on Main Street in Pawtucket, there are several retailers -DMK Sports among them– where “hinchas” can buy jerseys from international stars, like Argentina’s Lionel Messi, along with various soccer apparel and kits. Many local businesses are part of Tidewater Landing’s development –a multi-million-dollar initiative combining retail stores and commercial spaces– which is being spearheaded by Centreville Bank Stadium.
One of its key players is a brewery called The Guild, which is in Pawtucket and has partnered with Defiance 1636, RIFC’s official fan club. The Guild, along with Centreville Bank Stadium, will host watch parties throughout the World Cup. Duffy says Defiance’s President, Ervin Vargas, “is really the heart and soul of the organization… that passion is contagious, and they have built collectively with him.”
Vargas is using that fervor to expand Defiance’s membership, which has been steadily increasing since its first year. Its current 400 plus members is projected to increase to more than 500 by the end of this season. “As the true fans, we’re always gonna be there for them. That’s why I say, a las buenas, a las malas,” he says.
Pawtucket and Central Falls both have big Hispanic populations. The former has slightly more than 61,000 people, roughly 30% of whom are Hispanic or Latino, and the latter has about 23,000 people, of whom about 69% are Latino or Hispanic. Along with other Latinos spread out across the state, they embrace a highly zealous culture, with plenty of “barras” and “hinchas,” bringing passion, music, chanting, and singing to cheer for both the sport and the players.
Vargas was born in Rhode Island, is a Pawtucket resident, and has Guatemalan roots. He says his favorite part about soccer is watching and playing with his father, something they’ve done since he “was a little kid.” Now 30, the family tradition is still going strong.
The same can be said about the Restrepos. Santiago and his wife, Luisa, were born in Colombia and now live in North Providence. Santiago says, “the tradition is to enjoy soccer together as a family.” They have two young kids, and Santiago’s mother also lives with them. “RIFC is bringing the community together. You meet so many people there, it’s different cultures, it’s different languages,” Luisa said. “The supporter section is the group that is bringing the whole stadium together.”
Vargas agrees and says since many RIFC fans come from different countries, they can’t always go home to support their local teams, “but here they can.”
The state’s identity runs deep with Vargas and the rest of RIFC’s dedicated fanbase. “We’re thrilled to have Rhode Island FC and a proper football club that actually speaks to the state,” he said. “I’m very happy to always call myself a Rhode Islander and Rhode Island FC is just the embodiment of that.”
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