Months before the FIFA World Cup rolled into Houston, host committee president Chris Canetti promised it would be an opportunity of a lifetime for soccer fans, families and communities seeking a sense of unity.
Whether Canetti was right depends on who’s being asked the question. Certainly some Houstonians opted to sit out the 39-day sporting event that began June 11 and closed out last weekend. But for many it proved to be a cultural celebration they’ll never forget.
“The FIFA World Cup 2026 was the greatest sporting event ever staged, period, not just for Houston but for the United States and globally,” Canetti said at an event recap Wednesday afternoon at NRG Park. “It created one ‘wow’ moment after another. It was flawless. Across all 39 days, we saw countless small but powerful moments between friends and families, and often between strangers, from every walk of life. In those moments, the World Cup became a much-needed unifier.”
That’s exactly what one would expect soccer superfan Canetti to say, but he has the stats to back it up.
More than 1.08 million participants attended World Cup events in Houston, and about half a million fans attended matches at Houston Stadium. Eighty-one percent of the ticket buyers came from outside the Houston area, representing all 50 states and more than 200 countries.
During the seven matches played in Houston, eight arrests were made at Houston Stadium, a fraction of what was reported in other host cities, said Chief Safety and Security Officer Tommy Calabro.
Calabro told the Houston Press his team is working on an after-action review now that will include feedback from 45 different agencies. He noted that the World Cup was a massive undertaking but said, “I’d do it again tomorrow.”
Many officials at Wednesday’s press event highlighted the special moments of getting to host teams from other countries and international guests. Houston Mayor John Whitmire said he was told by some of the players that everyone felt like they were on the home team.
The United States was eliminated July 6 after losing 4-1 to Belgium in the Round of 16 in Seattle but die-hard soccer fans — some who just came to love the sport this summer — stuck with it until the end, as Spain took home the World Cup title on July 19 in New Jersey. All the matches, even those that weren’t played in Houston, were broadcast live on big screens at the free outdoor Fan Festival in East Downtown.
Challenges are expected when hosting thousands of visitors during hurricane season and a heat wave — and there were a few roadblocks, literally and metaphorically.
Soon after Fan Fest kicked off, the owners of Koffeteria, a James Beard-nominated pastry shop that opens six days a week from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., posted videos of a deserted Hutchins Street and expressed frustration that delivery drivers and regular customers couldn’t access the store due to street closures, costing them money they’d invested in extra staff and increased inventory.
Within a few days, access improved and within a few weeks, some nearby parking spaces were made available. The shop’s owner posted on July 10 that he’d met with the Houston Police Department and City Council Member Joaquin Martinez, and “after a few wordy emails sent by disgruntled customers, employers and of course us, we finally have some access on Lamar Street. The side parking is open and should be free. I’m really sorry and thankful for any guests who endured this catastrophic headache.”
For former Houston Dynamo star Brian Ching, access to his Pitch 25 Beer Park soccer-themed sports bar has always been a little challenging, as the area around Walker Street was under construction for months prior to Fan Fest and closed during the festivities.
However, Ching said several surface parking lots were available within a mile of the bar, business boomed and they never ran out of beer. “Everything went better than expected,” he said. “Before the World Cup, a lot of people were nervous about the amount of people and the impact that it would have. People did come out. The first three weeks of the tournament, you saw people from all over the world, especially the countries that were playing at Houston Stadium.”
Pitch 25 hosted the Portuguese Federation twice and also welcomed fan groups from Germany, Sweden, Brazil and the Netherlands. “The Mexican fans probably came out the strongest when Mexico played,” Ching said. “There wasn’t enough space for them in all of EaDo. Every bar was at capacity, and you couldn’t fit anybody else in. It was a great turnout.”
When asked if he has any complaints, Ching quips, “That we can’t have the World Cup here every year.”
“It was definitely a heavy lift, but I think we were well-prepared for it,” he said. “Hopefully it made an impact on people who came through Pitch 25, especially for the first time, as one of the best soccer bars in the country.”
Ching said he got to hang out with a few international soccer legends and take his son and his brothers’ kids to some matches. As the all-time leading scorer for the Dynamo, Ching is a legend in his own right and said some of the fans who lined up for selfies and asked about the bar’s business model. “They were like, holy smokes, we need one of these in Canada or in Portugal,” Ching said. “Hopefully we can capitalize on that and build a name as the place to watch soccer.”
Ching, who is opening a second location of Pitch 25 in Katy in the fall, said there are always some challenges when dealing with a massive influx of people.
“You try to anticipate them,” he said. “There weren’t any major issues. I think some people got a little too drunk at times, but I don’t think there were any catastrophes. Our location was well-prepared to handle the crowds and we executed on our plan pretty well.”
At Wednesday’s event, Harris County Commissioner Rodney Ellis highlighted the legacy initiative Grow the Game, which plans to build and maintain 23 new or refurbished pitches and provide club soccer access to underserved youth across the region.
Ellis pointed out that ahead of the World Cup, Houston gained nearly $500 million in permanent infrastructure improvements — including 400 lane miles of resurfaced streets, $100 million in drainage improvements, $84 million in sidewalks and 7,000 new trees — that will remain in place for the locals to enjoy.
“The doors of Houston and Harris County were open, and the eyes of the world were upon us,” Ellis said. “We were prepared.”
After hearing that fans exiting Houston Stadium were waiting outdoors in 90-plus-degree temperatures, METRO pivoted to add more transportation and reduce wait times, activated NRG Center as a sheltered waiting area and cooling site, and deployed cooling buses.
When Fan Fest reached capacity on a couple of occasions, Shell Energy Stadium opened for overflow crowds. Heat-related illnesses spiked in the first few days and leveled off as host committee members and ambassadors continued to educate the public on the importance of hydration and shade. They also started giving away free water at matches and Fan Fest events. Canetti said there were fewer than 70 emergency room transports for heat-related illnesses throughout the duration of the local festivities.
Harris County-Houston Sports Authority CEO Ryan Walsh said bids are already in the works to host the 2031 FIFA Women’s World Cup, the 2031 Men’s Rugby World Cup and various NCAA events.
“These major global sporting events are important for Houston as they create civic pride, a shared identity and a front porch for Houston to the rest of the world,” Walsh said. “Houston’s character and culture were in front of every country in every time zone on every continent in the last seven weeks. Five hundred thousand visitors came for the World Cup, and Houston’s generosity and hospitality ensured that they left our city as ambassadors to Houston.”
“Thousands of visitors were wrapped in their nation’s flags, and Houston wrapped its arms around them,” he added. “Houston is built for the biggest global stages, and we’ve proven it. We are the premier destination for sports, defined by a community that shows up, collaborates and delivers meaningful impact.”
