There’s sports and then there’s The World Cup.

The Stanley Cup, The Super Bowl, March Madness, The Tour de France, even the Olympics are no doubt exciting, but they pale in comparison to the global singularity of The World Cup. For that one summer month every four years the entire world is united around this singular event, tracking each match, each kick, each heart-stopping save that plays out on an international scale.

Soccer (er football) has traditionally been a minor sport here in America, long overshadowed by homegrown games like football, basketball, and baseball, but all that has recently begun to change. Thanks to the MLS and the wider broadcasting of European leagues soccer has caught on significantly here in America, and with the World Cup just days away, the sport is more popular than ever. Even if you haven’t been converted to soccer just yet, there’s no better time to get swept up in the beautiful game than during The World Cup.

The World Cup isn’t merely about the game itself, it’s about the atmosphere of soccer – the national pride, the excitement of a hard-fought game, the deafening cheers, and yes the steady amount of alcohol that flows throughout those ninety glorious minutes. Never is the exhilaration of a do-or-die World Cup match more palpable than at a bar, surrounded by a hundred or so of your closest compatriots. We’ve rounded up six of the best places in New York to gasp at every shot, shout for every goal, and root for the boys in red, white, and blue during this year’s World Cup.

Woodwork – 583 Vanderbilt Ave, Brooklyn
Don’t let the unassuming exterior fool you, diehard soccer fans have long flocked to this Prospect Heights staple to cheer and jeer their favorite teams.

The Football Factory at Legends – 6 West 33rd St. Manhattan
Yes, it is actually called The Football Factory, and with forty-five TV’s all airing games, all of the time, they’ve certainly earned that moniker.

Kinfolk – 94 Wythe Ave. Brooklyn
In the recently opened event space tucked behind their Williamsburg shop Kinfolk will be projecting each game with a little help from their friends at Victory Journal, a Brooklyn based sports magazine.

The Kent Ale House – 51 Kent Avenue, Brooklyn
Like all good soccer bars, the Kent Ale House will be broadcasting each game, but what sets this Williamsburg pub apart is their impressive roster of 24 craft beers on tap, because every great game, deserves a great beer to go along with it.

Houston Hall – 222 W Houston St, Manhattan
Houston Hall is the sort of bar that you walk into and you can’t believe a space that large actually still exists in Manhattan. The only thing bigger than Houston Hall itself is the two massive TV’s that will surely be projecting the World Cup all month long.

Nevada Smiths – 100 3rd Ave, Manhattan
It’s certainly not the coolest bar, but there’s no better place to watch England fans pray for a miracle than this East Village institution, because hey, the U.S. probably isn’t going to win either, but at least we can laugh at the other guys.