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HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — By late Thursday afternoon, we will know whether Houston has been chosen as a host city for the most popular and prestigious sporting event in the world. NRG Stadium is one of 17 stadiums in the United States vying for the FIFA Men’s World Cup in 2026.
Legacy is on the line. This will be a month-long tournament that billions of people will watch all around the world. If Houston is selected, the city would likely host five or six matches. That would be comparable to five or six Super Bowls.
The city of Houston has been preparing for this since 2018.That’s when FIFA awarded the World Cup to North America.
The city is hoping the facilities in and around NRG Stadium, along with the vibrancy of our community, will convince FIFA to accept the bid.
There are 22 cities in the running. During a live event from New York City on Thursday, they’ll likely announce the final 16. Many expect the U.S. to be awarded 10, with the other spots split evenly between Mexico and Canada.
“People have been asking me if I’m losing sleep. The truth is I’m sleeping real well at night right now, because I know we’ve done everything within our power. We answered every call. We responded to every test. We aren’t missing any elements right now or falling short or weak in any area. It was really a great collective effort from our community to really unite,” said Chris Canetti, president of the Houston World Cup Bid Committee.
Canetti said another advantage is the retractable roof at NRG Stadium, which means the matches are guaranteed to go on schedule regardless of summer heat or storms.
“In line with the previous stages of the FIFA World Cup 2026 selection process, any announcement will be made in the best interests of football, taking into consideration the needs of all stakeholders involved, as we aim to lay the foundations for the tournament to be delivered successfully across all three countries,” said Victor Montagliani, FIFA vice president and CONCACAF president.
The 2026 tournament will also, for the first time, be co-hosted by three countries and feature 48 teams.
Canetti said being a part of something like this would be huge for Houston.
“We don’t want to just have soccer games come through here and that be the end of the story. We want to make sure this event, and other sporting events that come to Houston, help make Houston a better place for its residents. So, we believe the World Cup, the most popular and prestigious sporting event in the world, will enable us to leverage lots of opportunities in and around the market,” Canetti said.
Thursday’s announcement won’t reveal locations for specific matches, but cities in the U.S. will reportedly host from the quarterfinals on.