The World Cup is about to kick off

The World Cup is about to kick off — here's my dream watch party setup, including the perfect projector to scale up every goal

Selection of Ninja cooking gadgets, plus a projector and some smart lights, against a football field background.

First, let's talk tech. If you're in the market to upgrade your TV for the occasion, we have a separate guide to how to choose a TV for the World Cup. Personally, though, when it comes to watch parties, I'm all about a projector. The Xgimi Mogo 4 and Mogo 3 Pro are both great options. They have built-in speakers, but if you want to beef up the sound, you could add in a Bluetooth desktop speaker like the Pebble Nova or Sonos Era 100.

To really amp up the festive atmosphere, you could add some smart lighting into the mix. Combine the Philips Hue Sync Box and Play Light Strip and the effects will match up to what's going on on screen, or string up some Govee Smart Outdoor String Lights, which can sync to sound.

Then it's time to get your refreshments sorted. With its two generously-sized drawers, the Ninja Double Stack air fryer is ideal for low-effort, large-scale catering. You can set it to automatically time the two baskets to finish cooking at the same time, and it'll switch itself off automatically when the food is done. That means there's no clock-watching needed, and you'll never have to sprint out of the room to turn the oven off when the on-screen competition is just heating up. The same brand's Woodfire electric pizza oven and Slushi cold drinks machine are also reliable winners when it comes to party catering.

Scroll down for more watch party picks for a top-tier international soccer season. And if you're confident you know who's going to take home the trophy this year, enter our TechRadar World Cup Members Club competition to be in with the chance of winning a $500 Amazon gift card, plus a year's Norton VPN subscription.