TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Summer is typically a challenging season for many Tucson restaurants and bars as rising temperatures and seasonal travel reduce local foot traffic. But the expanded 2026 FIFA World Cup is giving one Midtown business reason for optimism.
The tournament, co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, begins this week and features 48 national teams and a record 104 matches spread across more than a month of competition. The expanded format is expected to draw unprecedented global attention to soccer and create opportunities for businesses that cater to fans.
At the center of that excitement in Tucson is Zerai’s International Bar, a soccer-focused sports bar located next to the long-running Zemam’s Ethiopian Restaurant.
The restaurant’s founder, Amanuel Gebremariam, knows something about pursuing ambitious ideas. After immigrating from Ethiopia, he opened Zemam’s in Tucson nearly three decades ago despite having little experience in the restaurant industry.
“I told my wife, ‘Honey, I’m going to start a restaurant,’” Gebremariam recalled. “She said, ‘Honey, you’ve never cooked!’”
The restaurant became a Tucson institution, and years later his son, Lucas Gebremariam, envisioned a new venture next door centered on the world’s most popular sport.
“The goal with that was always to open a soccer bar,” Lucas Gebremariam said. “Because growing up here, there’s never been anywhere to watch soccer on a regular basis.”
Soccer’s popularity has steadily increased in the United States over the past decade, fueled by growing television audiences, expanding youth participation and the success of professional leagues such as Major League Soccer. The arrival of the World Cup on North American soil is expected to further accelerate that trend.
While Zerai’s has hosted major international matches in the past, family members say the scale of this year’s tournament presents a unique opportunity.
“The World Cup we’ve always known has been something in the distance,” said Noah Gebremariam, manager of Zemam’s. “And now that it’s coming up, and we can see it about to happen we’re excited quite frankly. It gives us a chance to show people that this isn’t just a place to watch soccer, it’s a place to hang out and meet people.”
The timing could prove especially beneficial. With matches scheduled nearly every day throughout the tournament, the World Cup arrives during one of Tucson’s slowest business periods.
“We expect it to be a really nice World Cup for business,” Lucas Gebremariam said. “In comparison to a normal Tucson summer.”
For Amanuel Gebremariam, however, the event represents more than an economic boost.
“Sport is the only kind of organization that attracts all enemies and friends together,” he said. “And then they play as friends.”
Zerai’s plans to be open for every World Cup match throughout the tournament, welcoming fans from across Tucson to celebrate the game’s biggest stage together.
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Eddie Celaya is a multimedia journalist at KGUN 9. Born in Tucson and raised in the Phoenix area, Eddie is a life-long Arizonan and graduate of the University of Arizona who loves the desert and mountains and hates the cold. Previously, Eddie worked in print media at the Arizona Daily Star. Share your story ideas with Eddie at edward.celaya@kgun9.com, or by connecting on Facebook or Instagram.
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