​The air smelled of beer and nervous tension, with pints consumed by the minute.The Three Lions clung to a 2-1 lead over Norway in extra time of the FIFA World Cup Quarterfinals. The hundreds of English fans took out their desperation with furious chants of “COME ON, ENGLAND.”AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe energy screamed of a pub in London or Liverpool, but the humid air outside told a different story. No, we were not on the island of Great Britian. Instead, we were an ocean away at Queens Arm Pub in Gainesville. Yet the spectators – from South London to the Scottish border – felt at home.That was the goal of Debbie and Kash Sahay. The couple officially took over Queens Arm in March. The pub in Haile Plantation has been a hotspot for years, but the Sahays yearned to inject new life into it and make it more authentically “British.”That includes a menu of specialties not found anywhere else in Alachua County like Scottish Eggs and Welsh Rarebit, events such as a tea party – to be held this Saturday – and traditions like staying open every day of the year which is a staple of pubs back in the UK.1 / 32Fans sing “Hey Jude” during a World Cup watch party in recognition of Jude Bellingham, a midfielder for England who scored both goals against Norway, Saturday, July 11, 2026, at Haile Village Bistro & Queen’s Arms Pub in Gainesville, Fla. [Noah Lantor/Gainesville Sun](Noah Lantor/Gainesville Sun)No spectacle, though, has made Queens Arm feel like it belongs on the British Isles more than the World Cup. The extravaganza, which began on June 11 and has been played primarily in the U.S., is entering its final week. The semifinals, between France and Spain and England and Argentina, kick off Tuesday and Wednesday, with the final Sunday at 3 p.m.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementGainesville has embraced the World Cup with a gusto usually reserved for big Gator games. Breweries like First Magnitude and Cypress and Grove have extended hours to show every knockout stage game, and ethnic restaurants like Las Carretas (Mexico), Tinker (Colombia), Samba (Brazil) and, of course, Queens Arm have felt like family reunions.The fans for each country might be different, but one theme is clear: this tournament brings people together and Gainesville (with 12 percent of its population being immigrants) is a champion of that.During the France vs. Morocco game at Queens Arm, Samuel Dominguez celebrated Kylian Mbpappe’s goal like Paris ran through his blood.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementDominguez, despite donning a French jersey, isn’t from the country. He’s from Cuba and became a Real Madrid fan at a young age, around when French legend Zinedine Zidane starred for the club.Therefore, Dominguez began cheering for “Les Bleus.”“I don’t mix roots, so if you play for Real Madrid and you are a French player, I’m rooting for you,” he said. “Zidane was a magician and the best player of his time.”Dominguez mov