NEW YORK (VINnews)-The Democratic National Committee is deploying organizers, volunteers and staff to FIFA World Cup fan zones, sports bars and watch parties across the country this weekend in a bid to register thousands of new voters ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.

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The drive coincides with Sunday’s World Cup final between Spain and Argentina at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, with kickoff set for 3 p.m. ET. Democrats hope the excitement surrounding the match will help them reach potential voters, particularly younger ones and those in the Hispanic community.

DNC Chair Ken Martin outlined the plan in a statement.

“From outside FIFA Fan Zones and at World Cup watch parties to bars, restaurants and parks, we’ll spend the weekend registering thousands of new Democrats and having conversations about how we win races up and down the ballot,” Martin said.

The party aims to register about 3,000 new voters and is active in two dozen states, including battlegrounds such as Arizona and Pennsylvania. In Arizona, efforts will focus on Phoenix, Chandler, Tempe, Tucson and Yuma.

The initiative is part of the DNC’s “When We Count” program, which prioritizes registering young voters. About one-third of the program’s fellows are native Spanish speakers. The party is also conducting a four-part national training series for more than 1,500 people on voter registration techniques.

Lee Igel, a professor of global sport management at New York University, told Politico that large sporting events create unique opportunities for outreach.

“The power in sport is that people gather. It creates a sense of belonging,” Igel said. “If you want to get 3,000 people registered to vote at a watch party for a sports mega-event, you’d be hard-pressed not to get closer to 30,000 people.”

Igel noted that politicians, including New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, have successfully leveraged sports to boost their campaigns.

“Sport is fun and games, but the attention it attracts in communities — from eyeballs to people in person — is enormous,” he said.

The effort comes as Democrats seek to build momentum heading into the 2026 midterms.