Brazil fans took over Houston’s famous Waterwall Park on Sunday and marched to the stadium Monday morning in a sea of yellow and green, ahead of the match at noon. Hundreds of Japan fans gathered over the weekend at the team’s hotel and a Houston bar to chant and cheer on their team.
Follow along for live updates, highlights and fan reactions as Houston hosts its first of two World Cup knockout stage matches with Japan vs. Brazil.
The entry line for the FIFA Fan Festival wrapped around Shell Energy Stadium Monday morning as hundreds of fans waited to watch the Round of 32 match between Japan and Brazil, which will take place a little over six miles away at Houston Stadium.
Before gates could open on Walker Street, fans lined the event’s perimeter, stretched around a corner and waited near the opposite side of the adjacent stadium by the EaDo/Stadium Metro stop. Yellow, green and blue dotted the crowd as the masses repped their national team colors for Brazil and Japan.
EaDo is ready for action.
The get-in price for the game was $980 as of 10 a.m. Sunday. It was $909 Monday morning, according to the site.
The resale get-in price last Sunday was around $2,072, which was near peak cost for the match since tickets first went on sale last year. The price was also more than triple the $659 cost of what it was May 28.
But ticket prices for the match sharply declined in recent days. Prices were down 41% over the past three days.
Hundreds of Japan fans showed up on short notice to Houston’s Nettbar Sunday for a rally ahead of Monday’s match, according to posts on social media.
Retired NFL quarterback Robert Griffin III and his wife, Grete Griffin, were seen celebrating with Brazilian fans during their fanwalk to Houston Stadium.
Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo was also spotted in the crowd.
The Brazilian fanwalk has arrived outside the stadium Monday after making the short walk from Smith Lands.
“It was awesome. Everybody was here, people from Brazil, people from the U.S, everywhere, Europe, Asia, everybody coming here to the game. It’s such a beautiful energy,” said Ramiro Oliveira, one of the leaders of the fanwalk.
The fans departed at about 9:30 a.m., cheering and chanting down the street next to the light rail. There was no band so instead, a pedicab DJ played music on his speaker to keep the vibes up.
The first FIFA World Cup knockout stage match in Houston might be the best matchup the city sees the entire tournament.
Television: Fox (English) and Telemundo (Spanish)
Streaming: Fox Sports app (authentication required), Peacock (Spanish, subscription required)
In person: FIFA Fan Fest in EaDo opens at 10:30