The FIFA World Cup opened Thursday with San Pedro Square as the South Bay's official hub — 20,000+ RSVPs, 104 matches over 39 days, and a city-funded neighborhood network routing specific games to Japantown, Eastridge, Little Saigon, and beyond.

The FIFA World Cup kicked off Thursday at noon, and downtown San Jose's answer is the official "Soccer Celebration" at San Pedro Square Market — a pair of 27-by-13-foot screens framed by World Cup–themed food stalls, a family-friendly soccer village, and a Quakes Season Ticket Holder VIP zone. More than 20,000 people RSVP'd for the opening-day watch party, a figure announced by the San Jose Earthquakes and San Jose Sports Authority ahead of the first kickoff.

The Earthquakes are broadcasting all 104 tournament matches at San Pedro Square through July 19, free with RSVP. But the city also built a monthlong network it calls "Kick Off in the Districts" — backed by a $3.5 million DHS grant the City Council unanimously approved — routing specific matches through San Jose's cultural neighborhoods: Mexico games go to Eastridge Center (Tully Road) and the Mexican Heritage Plaza (1700 Alum Rock Ave.); Japan vs. Sweden and the U.S. vs. Turkey show at the Japantown Night Market; Colombia vs. Congo heads to Santana Row; the Round of 32 plays at The Plant on Monterey Highway; quarterfinals land at Alum Rock Village; and Little Saigon's Grand Century Mall hosts the playoff rounds and the final on July 18–19.

It's the South Bay's answer to the stadium lottery. Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara — temporarily rebranded "San Francisco Bay Area Stadium" under FIFA sponsorship rules — hosts six matches starting Saturday, but the vast majority of local fans are watching from the street. "The World Cup should not simply pass through San Jose. It should be experienced in San Jose," said John Poch, executive director of the San Jose Sports Authority. For restaurants ringing the square, that's precisely the math. "Any time you get people to come down in the vicinity of your business, you have a time to shine," said Douglas Cookerly, VP of operations for Sushi Confidential.

The logistics: San Pedro Square Market is free with RSVP — link is live at sjearthquakes.com/soccercelebration. Nearest VTA light rail is Convention Center station, about three blocks south on Market Street. Caltrain's Diridon Station is a half-mile walk west. Outdoor alcohol consumption is permitted in designated areas. The tournament runs through July 19 — every match, no cover charge.