Several stakeholders have been collaborating for years to come up with the best plans to address workers’ rights, human trafficking and more.

HOUSTON — Houston is four months away from hosting its first matches of the FIFA World Cup at NRG Stadium, with seven games scheduled in the city this summer.

Some of the tournament’s top teams, including Portugal, Germany and the Netherlands, are set to play in Houston during the group stage matches. And with big teams come large fan bases flocking to Space City.

With hundreds of thousands of visitors expected, local leaders said extensive planning is underway to ensure safety for spectators and workers alike. KHOU 11 received a preview Friday of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Houston Host Committee’s Human Rights Action Plan, which focuses on six key areas.

“We know the world is coming to Houston, and we’re excited to welcome them,” FIFA World Cup 2026 Host Committee Chief Legacy Officer Minal Patel Davis said.

Davis is spearheading the committee’s Human Rights Action Plan. One major priority is workers’ rights, including ensuring fair pay for food, beverage and custodial employees working for vendors at the FIFA Fan Festival in East Downtown.

“Not just wage theft, but we have a $15-an-hour minimum wage floor, which is double our state and federal minimum wage,” Davis said.

The committee is also working to create a “Worker Support Hub,” which Davis said has never been done before during a major sporting event.

“We’re waiting and watching to see what it looks like in practice, and see if it’s a best practice that can be carried forward, not just in Houston for future sporting events, but around the globe,” Davis said.

Another major focus is human trafficking. Houston ranks among the cities with the highest number of reported human trafficking cases in the country. With large crowds expected during the World Cup, officials anticipate increased risks.

To address those concerns, the host committee is partnering with nonprofits, including Street Grace.

“Street Grace is an organization that has this AI-powered tool to post commercial sex ads online and intercept them at the point of purchase,” Davis said. “A lot of the stakeholders asked us to focus on buyers, because a lot of times when someone is arrested for prostitution, the potential for them to be an actual victim of trafficking who is forced to do it is high, so if you focus on the buyers, it takes that burden off the victims.”

Meanwhile, U.S. Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, secured $500,000 in federal funding to combat human trafficking in Harris County Precinct 7, where NRG Stadium is located. Rep. Green presented a symbolic check to the Harris County Precinct 7 Constable’s Office Friday, to support their efforts against human trafficking.

“It’s important to do this at any time when you have this crisis in your city, but the World Cup brings the world into our community, and we want the world to know that when you come to Houston, Texas, you’re safe, that your children are going to be safe,” Rep. Green said.

Harris County Precinct 7 Constable’s Office Assistant Chief Grady Castleberry added, “The World Cup is coming here, and we have to ensure that these pimps and johns are not preying upon our young and the women of our community.”

The host committee said it also has frameworks in place to address cultural awareness, accessibility, homelessness and public safety.

KHOU 11 asked whether any of the host committee’s planning involved preparing for an Immigration and Customs Enforcement presence during the tournament.

“What we’re waiting to do is hear from FIFA, who is handling this issue at a larger level. This is an issue that is way bigger than us,” Davis said. “We know it’s top of mind of community members, not just in Houston, but across the country, and we hope FIFA is able to work this out with the White House Task Force, and talk a little bit more about what the presence, if any, is going to look like here.”

The FIFA World Cup 2026 Houston Host Committee’s official Human Rights Action Plan is scheduled to be released Monday.

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