About 350 people packed the pavilion at Newtown Park on Sunday, July 19, to watch Spain edge Argentina 1-0 in the 2026 World Cup final. The free, city-hosted event was the latest in a series of watch parties Johns Creek organized during the tournament, which was played across the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

Argentina superfan Lucy Rayberg sat in the front row wearing a Messi jersey, Argentine-flag temporary tattoos on each cheek, and a banner draped in her team's colors. She watched the match on her phone rather than the giant screen at the front of the pavilion.

"There's a 15-second delay on the big screen," Rayberg said.

Rayberg, who moved back to Johns Creek about a year ago after living in Miami, said she developed her passion for soccer in an Argentine neighborhood there, where roads were closed for matches and games were shown publicly at cafes. She described the Newtown Park crowd as warm and communal, comparing it to the watch-party culture she experienced in South Florida.

On the other side of the pavilion, Johns Creek resident Ashley Emerick watched with four of her children and one of their friends. Emerick said she was new to international soccer before the World Cup but that her kids' participation in youth leagues drew her in. The tournament captured her family's attention, and they attended multiple watch parties over the past month.

Kids kicked soccer balls on an adjacent lawn while the match played out on the big screen inside.

Spain's substitute Ferran Torres scored the lone goal in the 106th minute of extra time. Argentina failed to register a single shot on target in 90 minutes of regulation, a first in World Cup final history, according to Reuters. Spain allowed just one goal across eight tournament matches, setting a record for fewest goals conceded by a champion.

The Newtown Park event was part of a broader city effort. The Johns Creek City Council added World Cup watch parties to the city's official event calendar, as Recreation and Parks Director Erica Madsen reported at the March 18, Recreation and Parks Advisory Committee meeting. The city hosted an earlier watch party for the USA vs. Paraguay match at The Boardwalk at Town Center on June 12.