Share your top tips for throwing a great football-themed party - chance to win a £100 Lidl voucher! NOW CLOSED!

[AaronMumsnet]

Summer is finally here, and the football season is in full swing. Whether you’re celebrating your team’s big game, or you have a mini football fan on your hands who wants nothing more than for Ronaldo to be the guest of honour at their birthday party (gulp), you need to be organised to make sure you don’t score an own-goal. Who better then, than Mumsnetters to provide some play-by-play hints and tips to make sure your football-themed party gets the crowd roaring?

What recipes do you turn to when you’ve got a crowd coming round? Is the World Cup a big deal in your house or just an excuse to get the barbecue out of retirement? Chargrilled chunks of meat not your thing? What summer dishes make your squad happy. Which games and activities keep you and your team entertained during balmy summer evenings?

Share your top tips with Lidl for throwing a great football party on the thread below and you will be entered into a prize draw where one lucky Mumsnetter will win £100 worth of Lidl vouchers (note the winner will be sent four £25 vouchers, one voucher can be redeemed per transaction).

Thanks and good luck!

MNHQ

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Let someone who knows about football tell you what you need! Other than that buy some balls, a goal, footy shirts and a football cake.

Have different foods and drinks from the different countries

a big screen tv, BBQ with lots of meat and a selection of alcoholic and non alcoholic drinks. I'd have a goal set up in the garden too so we can take penalties at half time! ha-ha

Weather permitting being out doors is always good I think.
You can put bunting around the garden (can get the kids to help make it with you) a few balloons in team colours.
Burgers, chicken and chunky corn wedges. I would also have a great big bowl of pasta salad to hand too.
Cup cakes are also easy to make and to grab and go, perfect with butter cream on top, of course with team colours to finish the whole theme.

We put my parents' TV in the conservatory so we can watch all the action and Dad has the BBQ going. Whistles are always fun (haha) for the kids and a bit of a tournament going on in the garden, along with Subbuteo indoors. We have loads of nibbles on the go, mocktails for the kids and a few shandies for the grown ups.
We love football!

Hot Dogs and nachos are easy and always go down a treat, If you need a football themed cake my MIL made a great pitch cake for my son using desiccated coconut dyed bright green for the grass which she stuck on a rectangle base covered in icing it looked amazing

We have been to a couple of great football themed parties - children's and adults. Food was themed from all the participating countries, there were football plates, napkins and bunting, and everyone wore football shirts or kit. At half time there was a penalty shoot out in the garden, with a dad acting as goalkeeper, with prizes for those that got past him (funnily enough, all the children managed it but the other dads didn't 🤔) and a "pin the ball in the goal" game too. It was great fun!

You can't beat BBQ food and ice cream for a crowd!

Sausage sandwiches, beers and crisps!

football themed cupcakes!

My nephew recently had one at the local football ground, it was great as everything football related is there and you don't need to worry about having them play football in the garden !

Football doesn't really feature much here... but always up for a bbq so any excise i guess!!

For World Cup parties, it's all about food and drink from the countries involved! So for England's group, things like:

England - mini fish and chips
Belgium - waffles
Panama - cocadas (a dessert - balls of coconut and condensed milk)
Tunisia - brik (pastries filled with cheese and capers)

It's a fun way to get guests thinking - get everyone to bring a dish/drink from one of the countries involved, and you'll end up with loads of party foods that are different to the normal stuff!

i went to a football world cup party, my friend's hubby was hosting and somehow made a massive screen in the garden where everyone that was interested watched the match. there was a huge football cake and food from all the countries involved. But what i liked best is inside my friend was hosting a non football party for anyone not interested ( mostly women) with healthier snacks and games and fun which didnt involve football the kids went between the two it was a great success and i am hoping they do it again this time

Oooh lots of finger foods are a great idea. Sausage rolls, mini quiche, mini sandwiches. You can prepare them in bulk before hand, and just set them on the table for people to help themselves. You could have football themed food too. Football shaped cakes would be fun!

Dodgeball and a game of rounders to include everybody!

Suggest someone else hosts a football themed party!

Well, as the FA Cup Final coincides with the Royal Wedding this year, we are having a Wedding party, not a football one. I'm making a red,white and blue wedding cake, and themed cupcakes and have bought lots of flags, bunting etc. The only people watching will be me and my Mum, who has dementia. She is very excited about the wedding and I want to make it a special day for her.

After we take Mum home, DH will no doubt have a few pints, while watching the match! I'll probably have a couple of gins to celebrate.

Stacks of pizzas that we can load up with our own toppings. Pepperoni in a George Cross for England, encourage people to be creative

We gave out football annuals(shortly after xmas so v cheap) and football's as prizes/party bags.

I love football but never thrown a football themed party. A few snacks and drinks..?

You don't have to spend loads! Asking others to bring food is great (I love the idea above of a World Cup party where everyone brings a dip), and some simple themed decorations can add a touch of fun.

don't forget the football - and a spare or two - in case they break or get kicked over the fence etc

I was coming on here for tips for my DS's 6th birthday party as I think we will do a football party. But on the subject of world cup football watching parties, its usually for the adults and its usually beer and pizza. No one wants to be cooking/preparing food while watching a match.