Soccer fans gather at a Gables pub for World Cup 2006. File photo by Akihiro Shiroza

Soccer is the most watched sport around the world, but, in most of the United States, it gets no respect (unless Mr. Posh Spice can change that). Not true in Miami, where our global mix makes the sport number one in many bars and restaurants on the beach, the mainland and even between the two places. Soccer’s popularity was evident last year, when Italy took home the World Cup and the celebration spilled out onto Lincoln Road with a substantial parade. When it’s not World Cup time, the soccer scene is just as lively, but you may need to look inside to find soccer fans whooping it up. Here’s a list of places to watch the sport. Some places offer more soccer than others, so call first. If you’re venturing outside the Miami area and need your fix, visit www.livesoccertv.com, click on “Pubs” and plan accordingly.

The Playwright Irish Pub and Restaurant on South Beach (1265 Washington Ave., 305-534-0667) offers not only soccer, but also a very popular Irish breakfast — fried eggs, bangers, bacon, fried potatoes and baked beans — while you watch.

Soccer is often watched at all three Finnegan’s locations, but Finnegan’s Way, 1344 Ocean Drive (305-672-7747), is outfitted with the best satellite soccer package. “We have the most call for it there,” said Brian Nagy, the manager of the Miami Beach restaurant and bar. There are also plenty of food choices, as well as nightly dinner specials; Wednesday is live Maine lobster night.

Also on South Beach, you can enjoy soccer along with Argentine fare at Baires Grill (560 Washington Ave., 305-531-2323). If you’re specifically interested in soccer, you should call first, but if there are big games going on, you’ll find plenty of company. The fare is Argentinian, so that mostly means meat, with plenty of steak choices.

If the mainland is just too far to go without a soccer fix, you only have to make it to the last building along the Venetian Causeway before Miami and pull into Mike’s at Venetia (555 NE 15th St.; 305-374-5731). This Irish bar also offers burgers, steak sandwiches and a weekly corned-beef-and-cabbage special, the Reuben, among other treats. If you need a break from soccer, there’s a weekly poker night.

On the mainland, soccer holds court in Little Haiti at Churchill’s Pub (5501 NE Second Ave., 305-757-1807). Proprietor Dave Daniels, an English expat, will soon be celebrating his eatery’s 28th anniversary. When he first began broadcasting the games, he needed huge satellite dishes to beam them in. “In those days, if you wanted to watch, you had to come here. Nowadays, more people watch at home. Still, we had a reasonable crowd here yesterday,” he said recently. Churchill’s is also known for its indie music — if you visit the Web site www.churchillspub.com, you’ll find a calendar crammed with music, including Monday night Miami Jazz Jams. This shouldn’t be surprising; when he lived across the pond, Daniels booked all the musical acts of the day — he’s even credited on the Internet with booking the Beatles. “I didn’t, but I probably booked everyone else,” he said. There are plenty of UK specialties, like shepherd’s pie, Scotch eggs, soups and roasts, but Daniels touts the curries.

To be steeped in Irish atmosphere as you watch soccer, continue south to Coral Gables and JohnMartin’s Irish Pub & Restaurant (253 Miracle Mile, 305-445-3777). This is a large, full-service restaurant, complete with catering, but they’ve also managed to maintain a cozy pub atmosphere, which is perfect for a soccer-fest. Irish music, ambiance and food specialties are tucked among the more American choices. This is particularly true on Sundays, when they offer an Irish country breakfast.

To gear up for Euro2008, settle in at Fritz and Franz Bierhaus, also in Coral Gables (60 Merrick Way, 305-774-1883). That big tournament will be held in Austria and Switzerland, with the finals in Austria. Because that’s where proprietor Harald Neuweg hails from, he’s already busy planning. “We’ll be the headquarters for Euro2008 in all of South Florida,” he promises. “We will have the whole plaza decorated in soccer balls for the whole three weeks.” Not that there’s any dearth of soccer there now; the restaurant broadcasts as many games live as possible, of both the European and South American teams. He’s very blunt about it — this is a place for soccer, first and foremost, but he also promises that fans of American football and baseball won’t be shut out; there are plenty of plasma screens and satellite dishes to accommodate every sports fan.

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