A World Cup gathering spot for the Vietnamese community in Canada

At Second Cup Coffee, surrounded by the familiar sight of coffee cups and tea pots, many Vietnamese are watching World Cup matches together, chatting in Vietnamese, sharing emotions, and cheering for football in a cozy atmosphere reminiscent of home. For Ms. Đỗ Thúy Nga, the owner of Second Cup Coffee, creating a football viewing space stems not only from business needs but first and foremost from a love of football and a desire to establish a gathering point for the Vietnamese community in Canada.

Sharing with a Vietnam News Agency correspondent in Canada, Ms. Nga said she loves football deeply and is likely not the only Vietnamese who adores this sport. For Vietnamese people, football is a very familiar sport. Since Canada is a co-host of the 2026 World Cup, this is a rare opportunity for overseas Vietnamese to meet, watch football together, and share joy.

Ms. Nga has arranged the café space specifically for the Vietnamese community during event days. For many attendees, watching the World Cup with the community, using Vietnamese to comment and cheer together, brings a warm and familiar feeling.

Ms. Lương Mai Anh, a Vietnamese living in Toronto, told reporters that she felt "very warm, close, and extremely excited" participating in this gathering. According to her, watching football requires a community around to share emotions. Sitting with her own community, using her native language to comment and cheer, gives the feeling that geographical distance no longer matters, as if cheering in Vietnam.

However, the story at Second Cup Coffee goes beyond just a football viewing session. For several months, this café has gradually become an informal community space. Besides World Cup viewing, it also hosts a French club, Vietnamese tea introduction sessions, cultural exchanges, and activities focused on mental health.

According to Ms. Nga, a café with a familiar Canadian brand can become a special bridge: helping Vietnamese preserve their identity while opening opportunities to interact with other communities in this multicultural society.

She confided that since owning a café with a top Canadian brand, customers are not only Vietnamese but also come from many different communities. Every week, the café supports a French club, attracting many people of various nationalities. Through these activities, they learn more about Vietnam, the Vietnamese language, and Vietnamese culture.

For the Vietnamese community in Canada, meeting points like Second Cup Coffee hold greater significance than a usual gathering. This is a place where those far from home can find sharing, overcome feelings of isolation in a new life, and build mutual support networks.

Ms. Lê Thị Hoàng Yến, another Vietnamese in Toronto, believes that the World Cup being held in North America and Canada is a very special event. It is not only an occasion for fans to immerse themselves in the global football atmosphere but also an opportunity for the Vietnamese community to connect, appreciate life in their host country, and spread the spirit of mutual support among Vietnamese people.

From a football match, a cup of coffee, and stories in Vietnamese, Second Cup Coffee in Canada is becoming a community gathering spot during the World Cup season. Here, football is not just a sport but a bridge for Vietnamese abroad to meet, bond, and affirm their positive presence in Canada's multicultural society.

The World Cup will eventually end, but the connections forged in such community spaces may continue. Because for Vietnamese in Canada, integration does not mean forgetting one's identity, but rather bringing that identity to contribute to the shared life of the country where they now reside.