The crowd in the bar watched, almost silent as the ball hurtled toward the goal. Their numbers had ballooned at some point in the first half of Colombia’s game against Costa Rica during the Copa America group stage. Strangers wearing the same team colors shared tables; a little boy on his iPad abandoned that screen for the bigger one; and the red, yellow and blue stripes of a Colombian flag were rumpled under clenched fists, poised to be raised.
Game days like this are common at Bar 43, a sports bar and grill in Sunnyside that bills itself as the “home of soccer in Queens.” Opened in 2008—before the City announced construction on a dedicated soccer stadium and also won the bid to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup finals—Bar 43 has stood witness to the evolution of local soccer culture.
By the last few minutes of the game, it was clear Colombia would win
“We've always been a home of soccer. But right now, it's a completely different scene [in the City], and there’s been a lot of those stepping stones,” says co-owner Nick Murphy, in between greeting regulars during the game. Murphy, who’s from Ireland, has seen a change over the years in regard to the City’s growing appreciation for the sport, particularly in school soccer programs—from elementary all the way to universities.
Owner of Bar 43 Nick Murphy.
“The culture in Europe and South America was always soccer related,” he says. “Now it's coming into America more and starting to build a lot of popularity. It’s becoming more popular with kids. I live by Juniper Valley Park; there’s like seven baseball fields, and people only play soccer out there.”
Colombia's tiniest supporter
The staff at Bar 43 weaved through Colombia’s fans with giant trays of appetizers and entrees; planks of sizzling fajitas made their way to tables almost unnoticed by the rapt viewers watching the match, as did Irish-style chicken curry, atomic wings, Cajun salmon and other bar appetizers to satisfy every sensibility. The menu is curated to incorporate flavors that reflect the convergence of cultures in the neighborhood. Sunnyside’s population has significant Colombian, Ecuadorian, Irish and South Asian communities, each with their own soccer traditions, which has helped to deeply root Bar 43 in the area as the place to watch the sport (and others!).
“What I like most about [soccer] is being able to share culture while celebrating the same sport,” says Melannie Quintero, 21, who along with her mother and mother’s partner was rooting for Colombia, absolutely sure their team would win. (She was right; 3-0.) “I grew up watching my mom and my family go to every soccer game with paint on their faces. We feel the same passion and spread it to the people around us. I've made a lot of people my age who didn’t even want to watch a soccer fan.”
(From left) Diego Ceron, Loyra Bonilla and Melannie Quintero. "Colombia's lineup is impeccable!" says Melannie. "There's no way we won't win."
It was no surprise when New York City Football Club (NYCFC) and their supporters came knocking at Bar 43. Before the inception of that team in 2015, Bar 43 served as a base for fans of the New York Red Bulls (whose home stadium is in New Jersey) and also became a gathering spot for Arsenal backers. It’s now an official pub partner of NYCFC and Queens home to their supporters’ club, The Third Rail. With eight 2026 FIFA World Cup matches coming to the New York–New Jersey area and the NYCFC stadium being built in Flushing (due to open in 2027), the City’s love for the sport will only grow.
“That’s going to be excellent for anybody who wants to enjoy soccer locally, not just in bars and restaurants and at home watching on the screen,” says Murphy.
The crowd watches the broadcast in Spanish across Bar 43's many televisions
In the meantime, for fans like Ian, 9, whose favorite players are global icons Lionel Messi, Neymar, Kylian Mbappé and Cristiano Ronaldo (in no particular order), watching soccer with his family at Bar 43 is something he is looking forward to doing more often. Sporting a Brazil jersey backpack, Ian was hoping to stay long enough to catch the second game that evening, Brazil versus Paraguay. (“We’ll see!” laughed his mother.) Though he continued his watch at home, he left us with some parting words about the future of soccer in the City: “Have a great time, and enjoy watching!”
Some fans planned to watch Brazil play Paraguay in the same evening
