Spain beats Argentina: Cleveland fans watch World Cup final together at Public Square

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) - Hundreds of soccer fans packed Public Square on Sunday to watch Spain defeat Argentina 1-0 in the World Cup final, sitting shoulder to shoulder from Superior Avenue to the stage.

The World Cup final watch party on Sunday was hosted by Downtown Cleveland Inc.

Among them: Wendy Aldi and her husband, Mario Lopez — same crowd, same screen, different teams.

A house divided

Lopez, rooting for Spain, said the win carried decades of meaning.

“For Spain it has been 40 years that hasn’t won anything, all my heart I think it was for Spain,” Lopez said.

Aldi, cheering for Argentina. The couple chose the public watch party over their couch for a reason.

“We want to be in the crowd, we want to see people, we want to eat food, drink beer and we don’t want to sit alone at home,” Lopez said.

Twenty-three years of soccer

Aldi said she did not grow up a soccer fan, she married into it.

“I’ve been married 23 years, so this guy is crazy with soccer,” Aldi said.

After the final whistle

Argentina came up short, and Aldi acknowledged it plainly.

“We lost bad,” Aldi said. “It was a good game.”

Lopez, meanwhile, savored the result, though not without a dig at the sport’s perennial winners.

“[Argentina] keeps winning and winning and winning, let somebody else step up,” Lopez said.

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Economists predicted a local spending surge in non-host cities like Cleveland during the tournament, with fans purchasing merchandise, food, and drinks throughout the event. The full economic impact of the tournament will not be known for some time, with additional data expected later this year.

However, Joe Wadford, an economist with Bank of America Institute, said last month credit and debit card spending was up 6.3% compared to June 2025.