The scale of the 2026 FIFA World Cup is astounding.
It features 48 teams from every continent on the globe, except Antarctica, playing 104 matches in 39 days, in 16 host cities that span three countries and four time zones.
“It’s going to be the largest sporting event of all time in the history of the world,” said Chris Canetti, president of Houston’s World Cup host committee.
Houston is right in the mix of it all.
The city is hosting seven matches at NRG Stadium, which will be known as Houston Stadium for the tournament. Crisitano Ronaldo, one of the most famous people on the planet, will play twice in Houston. Germany, four-time World Cup champions, will start their tournament in the city. Five-time champions Brazil, Morocco and Mexico could all play here in the knockout stage.
But the impact of the tournament extends beyond just a handful of 90-minute soccer matches. The host committee is running a Fan Fest that will be open for 34 days. Houston has received millions in federal funding. Local government agencies have spent years preparing. Organizations have built programs and places they hope will last well beyond the last match in Houston.
What exactly will happen during the 39 days of the World Cup is tough to know ahead of time. But there are numbers and data that can help contextualize just how big the tournament is going to be in Houston.
“This event is on a scale unlike anything,” Canetti said.
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CreditsReporting by Peter Warren. Editing by Dana Burke. Design and development by Alejandra Arevalo/Hearst DevHub and Vivien Ngo/Hearst DevHub. Powered by the Hearst Newspapers DevHub.
Originally published on June 6, 2026