IShowSpeed's unplanned appearance at Thrive City's Portugal-Croatia watch party demonstrates how the venue's World Cup screenings can become unexpected cultural events beyond just soccer.

When IShowSpeed landed at Thrive City's Portugal-Croatia watch party on Thursday, July 2, the planned soccer screening turned into something else entirely. The streamer with 56 million followers, stranded in San Francisco after two canceled flights, joined the crowd at 1 Warriors Way and led Ronaldo chants while livestreaming to his massive audience.

The plaza at Thrive City holds about 2,500 people, and word of Speed's arrival drew hundreds of fans who swarmed the Chase Center entertainment district. During halftime, he jumped into a pickup soccer game and even challenged ABC7's reporter to a match. "Did I just lose to a news reporter?" he laughed afterward.

Thrive City's World Cup watch parties run daily through July 19, with free admission on a first-come, first-served basis. The space hosts multiple matches each day on the large plaza board, with 21+ guests able to purchase to-go beer from nearby restaurants.

The next big screening is the Final Match on Sunday, July 19 from noon to 3 p.m. While you probably won't find a global pop star at every screening, the Portugal-Croatia party showed that these events can transform from simple sports viewings into genuine cultural moments — sometimes with just a few hours' notice.

Getting there: Thrive City is at 1725 3rd Street. The nearest BART station is Powell (about a 15-minute walk) or take the Muni T-Third to UCSF/Chase Center. Parking is available in the Chase Center garage for $25.