Where to Watch the World Cup in Gozo

The proper football atmosphere

If you want to watch the match the way Gozo watches the match, head for one of the football clubs. Every club on the island, including Gharb, will be showing the tournament, and they’re genuinely welcoming to visitors, not just members. Walk in, find a seat, and you’ll likely be adopted by whichever team the room is supporting that night.

In Victoria, Victoria Hotspurs Sports Bar and Pizzeria sits just off St. Francis Square and does a good line in pizza alongside the football. A short walk away, you’ll find United Club Gozo, which reviewers describe very friendly, with a nice big screen. Italy might not be at the World Cup but Juventus Official Fan Club and the Milan Supporters Club are also both based in Victoria and might well be showing some of the matches.

If you don’t fancy heading into the capital for the night, you’ll get a warm welcome at the Official Liverpool Supporters Club in Xewkija.

Top Tip: These clubs run on local match-night energy rather than fixed kitchen hours, so a phone call ahead (or a glance at their Facebook page) is worth it if you’re set on a particular game.

Dedicated Fan Zone

This is the bit that makes Gozo’s World Cup genuinely special, and is especially Gozo. I mean why not build a World Cup Village in the same open-air space that normally hosts the Bethlehem f’Għajnsielem nativity scenes at Christmas. For the length of the tournament, Ta’ Passi Fields swaps shepherds for supporters, with a big screen, food, and the kind of atmosphere you only get when an entire village turns up to watch football together. It’s close to Mġarr Harbour, so it’s an easy stop if you’re heading over from Malta for the evening.

Family-friendly, with food

For an evening that works whether you’re there for the match or just along for the ride, Universal Sport Bar & Restaurant in Xewkija has multiple screens, reliably good prices, and reviewers single out the service as much as the football.

Up in Kerċem, Greens Sports Bar & Restaurant has a rooftop terrace with views across the island, an astroturf pitch alongside for the kids, and a reputation for getting properly loud on big match nights. Fully-airconditioned, with plenty of screens, its great for big groups.

If you fancy some top-notch Fish and Chips with a side of football, you can’t beat Bosco’s Bar & Kitchen in Victoria. It has three large screens, does great food and how often can you say you watched the match in an Oratory?

If you want to tick off unusual places to watch a game, then how about an opera house? Both Teatru Aurora and Teatru Astra, the island’s grand theatres show the football. Aurora has some of the biggest screens on the island. There’s something rather wonderful about watching a penalty shootout under a chandelier.

A quieter watch

Not every World Cup night needs to be a roar. LUCA Bar in Xlendi keeps things relaxed, with a projector screen for sport alongside its wine list, and a crowd that’s there to enjoy the evening rather than shout at the telly. It’s a good choice if you want the match on in the background while you actually get to talk to whoever you’re with.

Where to watch, village by village

If you’d rather find somewhere close to where you’re staying than pick by vibe, here’s a quick village-by-village rundown.

Gharb: Head for Gharb Rangers Bar & Restaurant, the local football club’s own bar, with a terrace looking out towards the church, a kitchen that stays open later than most on big match nights and is doing specials for the World Cup.

Kerċem: Greens Sports Bar & Restaurant is your spot, rooftop terrace, astroturf pitch for the kids, and a reputation for getting loud when it matters.

Xlendi: FRONT Bar, attached to the BLOCK Hotel, is the pick here, a stylish all-day spot known for cocktails and live music that’s just as comfortable with a match on the screen.

Marsalforn: The bay is lined with restaurants that will almost certainly have a screen on for the big games, Pizza Stop, Smugglers’ Cave, 200 Bar and Otters Bistro and Lounge are all worth a wander past on match night to see what’s showing.

Nadur: ClubHouse58 is your spot, a proper sports bar with a burger-house menu and the kind of setup built for exactly this. The village itself is known for going all out on big occasions too, so expect the atmosphere to spill into the square around it.

Sannat: A quieter village by nature, but Lions Den in St Margaret Square has the kind of easy-going, family-run feel that suits a casual match-night drink.

Victoria: The island’s biggest concentration of options. Victoria Hotspurs Sports Bar and Pizzeria sits right in the heart of town. For something a little different, Castle Bar near the Citadel has the warm, traditional feel of an English pub, while Teatru Aurora and Teatru Astra are putting their grand old stages to use with multiple massive screens.

Qala: Zeppi’s Pub has the proper village-pub feel and a track record of putting the game on for whoever wanders in, while Stoneage Bar is worth knowing about if you fancy a livelier night with a side of local characters.

Xewkija: Universal Sport Bar & Restaurant and the Official Liverpool Supporters Club are your best bet, multiple screens, good prices, and a setup built for exactly this.

Żebbuġ: Żebbuġ Rovers Bar & Grill is the one to know, a proper sports bar by name and nature, with a panoramic view across the island thrown in for good measure.

Ghajnsielem: Home to the island’s standout fixture for the tournament, the World Cup Village at Ta’ Passi Fields, a full open-air fan zone for the duration of the World Cup.

Good to know

Most kick-offs are very late. The tournament is being played across Canada, Mexico and the United States, so the time difference bites. The majority of matches kick off in Malta between 10pm and the early hours, with some not starting until 2am or later. Evening kick-offs tend to fall on the bigger knockout fixtures as the tournament goes on, so the closer we get to the quarter-finals, semi-finals and the final on 19 July, the more sociable the hours become.

Check before you commit to a late one. Not every venue stays open for 1am kick-offs, so if you’re planning a night around a specific late match, it’s worth checking with the venue directly or via their Facebook page rather than turning up on the assumption the doors will be open.

Nobody’s watching for Malta, and that’s fine. Most conversations in a Gozo bar this summer will be about England’s chances or Italy’s absence, not the home nation. Pick a side, or just enjoy being surrounded by people who’ve picked theirs.

If you’re staying in Gozo without a car, our guide to getting around the island covers buses, taxis and the ferry timetable, all useful if your chosen venue is a fixture-dependent decision made at 9pm.

We’d love to hear where you ended up watching. Tag us with #SceneOnGozo, and happy watching, wherever the final whistle finds you.