One month from Monday, the 2026 FIFA World Cup will begin, touted as what could be the largest sporting event in history, and organizers say Houston is up to par on its preparations for the tournament.
Though Houston's first match isn't until June 14, three days into the tournament, officials are prepping for increased security, transportation services, and tourism throughout the entirety of the World Cup, which ends July 19.
Much of that is due to the fact that Houston is just one of two cities in North America to host a Fan Festival for all 104 matches across all 39 days of the tournament, organizers said in a press conference on Monday.
"This will be the place to watch matches and to celebrate the World Cup with a combination of soccer fans from around the globe and folks from the greater Houston area who can all attend on a free general admission," Houston's World Cup host committee president Chris Canetti said. "We are ready to safely welcome hundreds of thousands of visitors to our great city who will help drive an estimated $1.5 billion economic impact to the region."
FIFA takes over NRG May 15
As the Houston World Cup host committee continues preparing the NRG Park grounds for the tournament, FIFA is set take control of the stadium from Friday, May 15, until Saturday, July 11.
"One of the major unique aspects of this event is its longevity," Hussain Naqi, NRG Park's General Manager, said. "We have a lot of experience working with long-lasting events like the rodeo, but this particular event given its longevity from May to [July] poses unique challenges."
In an interview with Houston Public Media, Naqi added that some of those challenges included coordinating with groups that utilize NRG Park, like the Houston Texans and the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, as well as the differences in infrastructure between a soccer pitch and a football field.
NRG Stadium, which will be called "Houston Stadium" throughout the tournament, will also keep its retractable roof closed for the tournament, Naqi said, to keep the temperatures inside the stadium comfortable.
METRO increases services
As part of its preparations, the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County (METRO) is expanding its services throughout much of the World Cup. From June 7 to July 11, the METRORail will extend its hours of operation until midnight.
The Red Line, which runs from north of Houston through downtown to NRG Stadium, will run every six minutes during peak periods and every 12 minutes late at night. The Green and Purple lines, which run through parts of east Houston toward downtown, will run every 12 minutes. Buses will also increase their hours and frequency.
METRO has committed to maintaining its normal prices for services rather than surging them based on demand. As such, METRO will charge $1.25 for local service and $4.50 for service from the airports to downtown Houston.
METRO Police will also be "fully mobilized," chief Ban Tien told Houston Public Media, with increased visibility throughout the entirety of the tournament.
"When there are big crowds, are there risks? Absolutely," Tien said. "But we have done a lot to put resources, assets in place to strategically deploy personnel and with a planned schedule to mitigate those risks."
Airports, police, and NRG prepare for heightened security
With as many as 500,000 fans coming to Houston for the World Cup, security will also be increased at certain crucial World Cup locations.
Houston Airports will increase their Transportation Security Administration (TSA) lanes during the tournament. The federal government provided funding for the Department of Homeland Security and TSA to operate at normal levels. As a result, Jim Szczesniak, director of aviation for the Houston Airport System, said he doesn't anticipate lengthy TSA lines of the caliber seen earlier this year during the partial government shutdown.
"We view it as we have essentially two World Cups," he said, "because we’ve got what’s happening in Houston, and then we’ve got a lot of the flow through Houston — our airports — going between the different World Cup markets. So, the airlines are up-gauging planes, and we’re getting a lot of charter activity that’s being put on there. We're starting to see it. It may take a little while to translate, but it is one of those things that we’re seeing. We know we’ll be busier than normal, that’s for sure."
A "highly visible, strategically layered law enforcement presence" will be at several key areas defined by the World Cup host committee, including airports, METRO, hotels, the Fan Festival, training sites, and NRG Stadium.
The Houston Police Department, Houston Fire Department, and Houston Office of Emergency Management are the lead agencies for public safety during the tournament, supported by county, state, and federal agencies.
"At the end of the day," Tommy Calabro, chief safety and security officer, for the Houston host committee said, "the overall goal of the host committee’s safety and security plan is to maintain a safe and secure environment throughout the tournament fostering a well-prepared and welcoming atmosphere for all involved in the World Cup,"
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