World Cup lands in Houston From the cover
Tournament schedule
How it works
The big picture
June 14
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The 2026 FIFA World Cup will feature 48 teams playing 104 matches across the three host coun- tries, including Canada, Mexico and the U.S. The format consists of 12 groups of four teams, with the top two teams and the eight best third-place finishers advancing to a new Round of 32. Houston was selected to host seven matches of the tournament, including five group stages and two knockout rounds with the Round of 32 and the Round of 16. Some of the teams that will play in Houston include Germany, the Netherlands and Saudi Ara- bia, along with the Portugal team, whose captain is fan favorite and soccer legend Cristiano Ronaldo. The Democratic Republic of Congo will also play in Houston and utilize the city as a base camp to train and operate throughout the tournament. Teams will begin to arrive in Houston around early June, ahead of the first match June 14.
Germany
Curacao
Houston is set to see the first of seven matches of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, along with 500,000 visitors from around the world, in less than 40 days. “This is a huge opportunity for Houston to build its brand globally,” said Chris Canetti, president of the FIFA World Cup 26 Houston Host Committee. “But more than that, it’s a chance for us to tell our story. It’s an opportunity to show visitors what kind of city we are and what makes us great.” The FIFA World Cup is considered the world’s most-watched sporting event, outpacing the Super Bowl and the Olympic Games by viewership. The most recent tournament in 2022 reached roughly 5 billion viewers globally and saw over 3.4 million spectators across all matches, according to the FIFA website. In comparison, the Super Bowl in 2026 had roughly 125.6 million viewers, according to Nielsen, an audience measurement company. On the other hand, the 2020-21 Olympic Games had approximately 3 billion total viewers, according to the International Olympic Committee. “It’s hard to compare anything to the World Cup,” said Ryan Walsh, CEO of the Harris County-Houston Sports Authority. “This is the largest sporting event in the world, not only by viewership and participation, but certainly for Houston. This is the largest event the city’s ever seen in its history.”
June 17
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Portugal
Congo DR
June 20
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Netherlands
Sweden
June 23
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Portugal
Uzbekistan
June 26
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Cabo Verde
Saudi Arabia
June 29 - Round of 32 Teams to be determined
Teams to be determined July 4 - Round of 16
SOURCES: FIFA, HOUSTON HOST COMMITTEE/COMMUNITY IMPACT
FIFA Fan Festival
Get involved
The free 39-day festival in East Downtown will occur June 11-July 19, covering all 34 match days.
In addition to the seven matches held at NRG Stadium, which will be called Houston Stadium during the tournament, a 39-day FIFA Fan Festival is also set to take place in East Downtown. The event will take over approximately four blocks near Dallas and Lamar streets and can host around 15,000 fans per day. Admission is free. “Our overarching genesis and premises of Fan Fest is to be a giant watch party,” festival director Patti Smith said. “But it’s more than that. … Our goal for the entire festival is to tell the story of who Houston is as a city, and to do that through our food options, our entertainment and visuals.” Smith said the FIFA Fan Festival is set to include a main viewing area with several giant screens where fans can watch all matches livestreamed, a food and beverage zone, daily entertainment, activ- ities, a beer garden and unique exhibits, including a 44-foot soccer-shaped dome with a 4D experience inside, an Aramco pitch where youth tournaments and free play will happen and a hall dedicated to showcasing Houston’s culture and community. “We know that not everyone can afford to go to a match, but everyone can be a part of the World Cup by going to the Fan Festival,” Smith said. “Get out of your comfort zone and do it because it’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience.” The Fan Festival will be open for a total of 34 days, excluding rest days July 8, 12, 13, 16 and 17.
18 Go Tejano Day 19 H-Town Day
03 Teacher Appreciation Day 20 Space City Houston Day 25 Military Appreciation Day 29 Rodeo & Western Heritage
The road to a World Cup
NOTE: NOT ALL THEME DAYS ARE MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE. TO SEE A FULL LIST, VISIT THE FIFA FAN FESTIVAL HOUSTON WEBSITE. 04 Michelob Ultra Fourth of July takeover
Bidding for the FIFA World Cup to come to Houston started almost a decade ago.
Key attractions include:
2017 2018
January: Bidding process starts June: USA, Canada and Mexico selected as host countries
Esphera: A 44-foot dome with a 4D experience inside
Houston Hall: A gathering space that will showcase the city with different exhibitions
June: Host cities selected
Daily entertainment
Food & beverage area
February: Matches revealed for each host city
Location: 2301 Dallas St., Houston
2022
SOURCES: FIFA FAN FESTIVAL, FIFA WORLD CUP HOUSTON HOST COMMITTEE/COMMUNITY IMPACT
RENDERING COURTESY FIFA WORLD CUP 2026 HOUSTON HOST COMMITTEE
March: Tickets go on sale
2024
June 14: Houston kicks off the first of seven matches June 11: FIFA Fan Festival opens to the public in Houston
2026
SOURCES: FIFA, HOUSTON HOST COMMITTEE/COMMUNITY IMPACT
Fans will be able to watch all matches of the tournament livestreamed at the Fan Festival’s main viewing stage.
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COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM
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