World Cup mania reached a fever pitch on Sunday afternoon as soccer fans came out to the Niagara-on-the-Lake Community Centre to witness the final match of this year’s FIFA World Cup.

With the Farmworker Hub co-hosting the viewing party, inviting dozens of seasonal agricultural workers to watch the final together, the event was not just a celebration of soccer — it was a chance to bridge the gaps between different communities in town.

The match between Argentina and Spain drew a split crowd of fans from both sides, with around 100 viewers at the watch party in the auditorium.

Friends and strangers sat together at tables and enjoyed snacks while watching the final game of this year’s World Cup, held in New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium, unfold.

After 120 minutes of intense play, Spain came out on top, defeating Argentina, the 2022 champions, 1-0. It’s the second time Spain has won the World Cup since its victory 16 years ago in South Africa.

At the start of the watch party, Brittney Kranz, lead co-ordinator at the Farmworker Hub, said she hopes the event helps welcome migrant workers to the Community Centre (a place some of them have never been before) and fosters a sense of friendship between them others in town who don’t live and work on one of NOTL’s many farms.

“I’m really excited for our friends on the farm to be here and experience the community,” she said. “Hopefully they’ll wander around the building and see what other areas they have access to while they’re living here in Niagara-on-the-Lake.”

The Farmworker Hub offers resources for NOTL’s seasonal agricultural workers, a community that is vital to the regional economy but may be unaware of accessible services in town, said Steven Pitkanen, a volunteer with the hub.

The Community Centre, for instance, is a free resource the hub hopes agricultural workers will take advantage of.

“Seasonal workers are imperative to our region, and they live and work in Niagara-on-the-Lake for up to eight months to a year,” Pitkanen said.

Farmworker Lawson Brown, who was rooting for Argentina, called the event a “beautiful thing” and said he enjoys connecting with his coworkers and community.

“It’s nice to come and socialize amongst different people and build unity amongst your fellow coworkers,” he said. “It’s a nice thing to know they are doing something for the farmworkers.”

Brown, who hails from Jamaica, has spent five seasons working in NOTL, but the watch party was his first time at the Community Centre.

“It’s very nice here,” he said, “I wouldn’t give up Niagara for anything.”

This year, 48 teams took part in the World Cup, a step up from 32 last year. This saw several teams make it to the World Cup that either had never qualified before or had not qualified in decades.

Jamaica, however, was not one of those teams: it failed to qualify this year. The last time the nation’s team made it to the men’s World Cup was 1998.

Brown said he would still root for Argentina — three-time World Cup champions — even if his home country qualified. Soccer is his second-favourite sport, as he coached track and field in Jamaica.

“[Soccer is] a beautiful game; it helps people to unite together and bring good vibes,” he said.

Brown noted this World Cup is likely to be the last one for Lionel Messi, Argentinian soccer star and, for many, one of the sport’s all-time greats. Messi will be 43 in 2030, the year of the next World Cup — by most standards, too old to compete in the tournament.

“I want to send him off with a grand finale,” Brown said around the half-time mark.

Unfortunately for Messi, his team and his fans, Argentina was unable to pull through, and the player was seen sitting dejectedly on the pitch, tears in his eyes, after the final whistle blew.

As for Jamaica, in order for the nation’s team to make the next World Cup, Brown said the country needs more infrastructure to support players moving from the high-school level to the club level.

Donald Case and Hughroy Howell, also from Jamaica, cheered for Spain, which managed to clinch the match after scorring the winning goal in the 106th minute of extra time.

Unlike Brown, the friends said they would be cheering “all the way” for Jamaica if it qualified.

Sat around a table with fellow agricultural workers and friends, the pair said they appreciate the chance to relax and enjoy the game.

“We work on the farm … we like getting a break to come meet different people,” Case said.

“[Niagara] is a nice place,” Howell added, who has been working in NOTL for 27 years.

The Farmworker Hub organized the event in collaboration with the Town of NOTL. Town spokesperson Marah Minor said she was happy with the turnout.

“Our agriculture community is one of our biggest factors in Niagara-on-the-Lake, so I think it’s just always important to have events for different audiences,” she said. “Our hope is that people come out, have a good time and connect with one another.”

The watch party included a raffle, with prizes like gift cards, FIFA gear and bicycles specifically for migrant workers.

“They’re leaving their families for up to eight months to a year; that means missing every birthday, every anniversary, every Mother’s Day, every Father’s Day,” Kranz said. “I want that to become the norm here: Get to know your neighbours.”