Colombian fans fill Fort Lauderdale ahead of World Cup match

Yellow, blue and red flooded Northeast Second Street in Fort Lauderdale on June 26 as Colombian fans gathered beside The Dalmar Hotel, turning a hotel block into a World Cup rally before the showdown with Portugal at Miami Stadium. Supporters filled a fan zone next to the hotel, where the Colombian national team was staying, and the crowd quickly became part celebration, part civic spectacle.

Fans wore jerseys, waved flags and bought food from vendors while they waited for a glimpse of the players. The atmosphere intensified when the team boarded its bus earlier in the day and later returned from practice to greet supporters from the hotel pool deck. The gathering grew large enough that people spilled into nearby streets, giving the scene the feel of a neighborhood event rather than a simple pregame stop.

The fan zone was scheduled to remain open through the World Cup weekends, giving supporters a place to watch matches and keep the celebrations going after the team left for Miami Stadium. The match itself was set for Saturday night at 7:30 p.m. on WSVN-7, and the stakes were high: Portugal and Colombia were meeting for the first time ever, with the top spot in Group K on the line.

FIFA’s match center listed the game for June 27 at 23:30 UTC, or 7:30 p.m. Eastern, at Miami Stadium in Miami. FIFA also noted that Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal was making a record sixth World Cup appearance, one more marker of how much attention the fixture drew across South Florida. FOX’s World Cup page said the matchup was the first meeting between Colombia and Portugal at the FIFA World Cup and described it as the most-requested ticket among all 104 matches.

The Fort Lauderdale scene also reflected the bigger regional business around the tournament. Miami-Dade County said Miami Stadium will host seven World Cup matches, while the Bayfront Park FIFA Fan Festival was expected to draw more than 600,000 visitors over 23 days from June 13 to July 5. Broward County responded with four free World Cup watch parties at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, including a June 27 screening for Colombia vs. Portugal with free admission and parking.

Greater Fort Lauderdale tourism officials have been pushing fan zones, watch parties and soccer-themed events across the county during the tournament, which runs from June 11 to July 19. In Fort Lauderdale, the Colombian crowd showed how a match in Miami can still fill hotel blocks, restaurants and public spaces in Broward with a surge of local energy and spending.