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Olé, Olé, Olé! Expat Communities Celebrate World Cup Teams Playing in the Bay Area

We talk to hometown fans about their hopes and dreams for their teams and their lives in America.
Alexis Madrigal
The San Francisco Bay Area Stadium, temporarily renamed from Levi's Stadium for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, in Santa Clara on June 10, 2026, where six tournament matches will be played. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)

Airdate: Friday, June 12 at 9 AM

Levi’s Stadium will be the site of a series of World Cup matches beginning June 13. Switzerland, Algeria, Qatar, Jordan and Australia are some of the teams that will be appearing in match ups. Though the FIFA extravaganza has had a bumpy rollout with complaints about high ticket prices and tourists opting not to come to the U.S. for matches, local expat communities are ready to cheer their home teams on. We’ll talk to hometown fans about their hopes and dreams for their teams and their lives in America.

Guests:

Erich Sonnberger, realtor, Intero Real Estate Services in Menlo Park; president, United Swiss Societies of Northern California

Dr. Nasser "Nas" Mohamed, physician and founder, Osra Medical; LGBTQ activist and the 2023 Grand Marshal for the SF Pride Parade

Salvador Rodriguez, journalist; his Substack "The 2026 Dispatch" is focused on the World Cup

Mounir Bhaloul, co-founder and co-owner, KAYMA, an Algerian restaurant

Melissa Zajic, executive director, Australian American Chamber of Commerce

Charlie Marji, president, Jordanian American Association of San Francisco

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