2 Bay Area World Cup watch parties end in violence

A shooting outside a popular World Cup watch party in San Francisco’s Mission Bay left two people injured Monday night and prompted the venue to cancel all remaining public broadcasts for the rest of the tournament. 

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San Francisco police responded at about 9:11 p.m. Tuesday to the 600 block of Mission Bay Boulevard North, where officers found two people suffering from apparent gunshot wounds, SFPD spokesperson Officer Paulina Henderson shared with SFGATE. 

Officers rendered aid before paramedics transported both people to a local hospital with nonlife-threatening injuries. A preliminary police investigation found that a verbal altercation escalated before a person opened fire and fled the area. No arrests had been made as of Wednesday, and the investigation remains ongoing.

The shooting occurred outside Spark Social, the Mission Bay food truck park that has been hosting large public watch parties for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

On Wednesday, Spark Social announced it was immediately canceling all remaining World Cup watch parties, saying the decision was made “in the interest of protecting the safety of our guests, staff, vendors, and community.”

The venue said its parks will remain open for normal operations, including dining, reservations, family activities and scheduled programming, but World Cup matches will no longer be shown.

“The World Cup has been an incredible opportunity to bring people together,” the business wrote in a statement posted to social media. “Seeing our parks filled with the joy, pride, and connection these games inspire has truly been a privilege.”

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The venue added that it was “deeply saddened” to end the gatherings but believed it was “the right decision” to prioritize the community’s safety and well-being.

World Cup celebrations turned violent elsewhere in the Bay Area on Tuesday. Two hours after the San Francisco shooting, San Jose police said they responded to two separate stabbings that occurred minutes apart downtown. SJPD told SFGATE both people were ultimately determined to have nonlife-threatening injuries and the perpetrator in each altercation fled before officers arrived. The investigation remains active. 

Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to contact the San Francisco Police Department at 415-575-4444 or submit an anonymous tip by texting TIP411 and beginning the message with “SFPD.”