At Miami FIFA Fan Fest fans come together to celebrate cultures, teams they love most

Soccer fans from across South Florida gathered at the FIFA Fan Fest at Bayfront Park on Monday, proudly wearing their national team jerseys as they cheered on their favorite countries during the FIFA World Cup.

After Argentina supporters filled the fan fest earlier in the day, Colombia fans took over the venue as they watched their national team face Ghana on the big screens.

Fans waved Colombian flags, chanted in unison and celebrated together despite the match taking place hundreds of miles away in Kansas City.

"I'm really excited. I'm really happy. It's community. It's everything," said Michelle Hernandez.

For many Colombian fans, the event was about more than just the match.

"Colombia is a beautiful country. Full of energy. Full of people with heart. Big heart. So we're so proud of being Colombian," said Jaira Garces, who is from Cali, Colombia.

Earlier in the day, Argentina supporters dominated the Fan Fest while watching their country's match against Cape Verde.

"I'm excited to watch the match because we are a lot and we are great supporters," said Lorenzo, who traveled from Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Kenneth Quiuela, of Davenport, Florida, said he wanted to celebrate alongside fellow fans.

"I wanna show them my culture and they want to see altogether what we can do, you know. So this is a party for us," Quiuela said.

Even fans without strong ties to soccer said they enjoyed the atmosphere and the opportunity to experience different cultures.

"I am not very familiar with futbol or soccer, but I do love this environment and being able to see people from different parts of the world. It's very important. It's very beautiful," said Sebastian, who is from Costa Rica.

Earlier in the day, the FIFA Fan Fest was temporarily evacuated because of inclement weather. However, once the storms moved out, the sun returned and fans quickly came back to Bayfront Park, allowing the festivities to resume.