Wetherspoon is showing World Cup games in pubs for first time ever
As the Qatar 2022 World Cup is scheduled to kick off tomorrow, many fans will be looking for some of the best places to watch the action unfold while enjoying a few - moderately priced - pints.
While fan zones and pubs are extremely popular for friends and family getting together to cheer on their nation, there is one British pub chain that has never got involved.
But that is about to change as the infamous Wetherspoon chain is set to show the World Cup in the vast majority of its 850 pubs across the country, for the first time ever.
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The UK boozer will only have a 'handful' of its pubs not show the footy action over the next month, which is due to them not having screens on the premises.
But for fans planning a 'spoons' trip for the World Cup, there is a catch that you may want to be aware of.
To abide by the usual Wetherspoon policy, all World Cup matches will be shown without sound and with subtitles enabled.
The pub giant is known for its sound-free environment and typically shows the news in its pubs with no sound.
Wetherspoon have said the decision for the football to be on silent was for the people who are not interested in it, and wouldn't want to hear the commentary.
But they did say that the manager of the individual pubs could decide to crank the volume up, and we think a fair few might for the England V Wales fixture on 29 November.
Wetherspoon spokesman Eddie Gershon told LADbible: "Wetherspoon will be showing the World Cup matches in its pubs.
"There will only be a handful of pubs not showing the games as they do not have screens.
"As always the sound will be switched off for the games as there will be a lot of people who are not interested in watching the game or hearing the commentary.
"It will be up to the manager’s discretion if they wish to put the sound on."
The World Cup officially begins on Sunday (20 November), with hosts Qatar playing against Ecuador in Group A.
England's first match is against Iran on Monday lunchtime, with Wales playing against the US later that evening.
The tournament has been wrapped in controversy ever since Qatar was awarded host status of 2022 World Cup due to the country's controversial laws regarding human rights and the LGBTQ+ community.
Despite that, however, football fans will be hoping the sport will take center stage over the next few weeks.
Callum Jones