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Ecuadorian fans packed Q39 on Saturday, turning the barbecue restaurant into a sea of yellow, blue and red as the country's national team is set to play in Kansas City.
The gathering was made possible by the director of operations at Q39, who is originally from Ecuador. After fans began asking where to watch the match, Xavier spread the word.
"Ecuador, as you can see, we are like a family, a big family," Xavier Echeverria said. "So, everyone decided where can we go. We put up a post, and we know about Q39 and they came to see us today."
Echeverria's family, including his father, flew in town from Ecuador for the once-in-a-lifetime experience. In addition, he said the crowd drew people from across the country.
"We got people from all over the world, all around — from Quito, Ecuador, people from out of town, family for myself from Ecuador, from Dallas, Chicago," Echeverria said.
For him, hosting the event carried personal meaning.
"Kansas City, my hometown, to be here. World Cup, it's awesome, it's a dream come true," Echeverria said.
The Q39 team prepared for the large crowd well in advance. Alberto, a pitmaster at the restaurant, said the work started hours before the first fan arrived.
"We started really early this morning just to make this happen," Alberto said. "I want to make sure everyone tries our selections."
Kelly Magee, co-founder and CEO of Q39, welcomed the international crowd.
"We really love welcoming all these folks from all over the world. It's been really exciting," Magee said.
For the fans, the day was about more than soccer — it was about community.
Sebastian shared that the World Cup brought his scattered family back together.
"It brings the family together. I got a chance to see my cousin coming all the way from Ecuador, got my family that lives here in KC, family from Chicago. So, soccer to me means family. It means reunion. It means happiness."
Another fan flew in from Ecuador on Saturday morning and he said he was ready to see history made.
"I'm from Quito. This is my first World Cup, and we are hoping for a historical game," Henry said. "We are here to support our national team."
The party was set to continue Saturday night at Dos Lokos.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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