Flags fly high as Windsor super fan goes all in on World Cup. The City of Windsor is hosting soccer watch parties on Thursday and Friday at City Hall Square.
Super Soccer Fan Yvonne Underwood
Windsor's Yvonne Underwood has World Cup fever, and all her neighbours know it. Flags from the 48 nations participating in the 2026 FIFA World Cup adorn her east Windsor home, including large displays for Canada and England, her country of birth.
“My neighbours are all for it,” Underwood told the Star. “They think I’m crazy, but so be it.”
The decorations began simply with a few England flags, she said. “I won’t fly an England flag without a Canadian flag, so I put that up, too. Then I thought, it’s World Cup time. Let’s put some World Cup flags up. It escalated from there.”
World Cup 2026 Host Cities
Sixteen cities are jointly hosting the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which kicked off June 11 and continues until July 19. Eleven are in the United States, three are in Mexico, and two are in Canada. It’s the first World Cup to be hosted by three nations — and the first time Canada has ever played a host role.
Canada earned its first point in World Cup history on Friday when it tied Bosnia and Herzegovina with a late goal. England plays its first match on Wednesday at 4 p.m. when it goes head to head with Croatia.
Underwood's Journey
In 1979, when Underwood moved with her family from England to Canada as a teenager, soccer wasn’t popular in the Great White North, she said. She had hoped to join a team in Sarnia, where her family first settled, but was out of luck.
“It’s really nice to see how much the sport has escalated and is becoming more popular over here,” she said.
Community Spirit
With so much turmoil in the world, the Souilliere Drive resident encouraged others to take steps to brighten up the community. “You’ve got to embrace life,” she said. “You’ve got to enjoy life. Putting up a few flags, it makes my family happy, it makes us happy, it makes other people happy. I just live it. It would be nice to see more.”
City Watch Parties
The City of Windsor is hosting soccer watch parties on Thursday and Friday at City Hall Square. In addition to live sport on a big screen, the city will make available food and drinks, face painting, activities for children, soccer mini skills and drills, giveaways and prizes, and other entertainment.
On Thursday, the city will show Switzerland vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina at 3 p.m., and Canada vs. Qatar at 6 p.m. On Friday, the city will show the USA vs. Australia at 3 p.m. and Scotland vs. Morocco at 6 p.m.
tcampbell@postmedia.com
