FIFA World Cup 2026 just 500 days away in Houston
HOUSTON - We're now 500 days away from FIFA World Cup 2026 taking place in the City of Houston.
FIFA World Cup 2026 just 500 days away
What we know:
Seven matches will take place over 20 days inside NRG Stadium in 2026 as fans from across the world come to Houston for matches.
Officials said transportation, hotels, stadium operations, and training sites, are all points of emphasis, but safety and security are top of mind. City, county, state, and federal law enforcement are all involved.
What we don't know:
It's unclear how much tickets for the matches will run as that information hasn't been released yet.

What they're saying:
Surrounded by the mayor, county judge, county commissioners, and other city leaders, Chris Canetti, President of the Houston host committee, outlined the plans for two major projects on the horizon.
"We have to expand the pitch area by removing some seats in the corner. It's a big project that we need to do to meet FIFA expectations and standards and that will take place this summer. The other thing we need to do is put a grass field into the stadium. The planning on that is going extremely well, and we will have final plans for that in the coming months and the work on that will begin in May 2026, soon after the rodeo," says Canetti.
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Officials also said security and safety will be top of mind.
"This is the number one expense associated with a World Cup it's probably north of 50% of the total budget - which it needs to be," says Canetti.
A lot of Houstonians won't be able to afford a ticket to see a game in person, but organizers were intentional about including everyone in this experience by creating "fanfest" and placing it in east downtown. Which has become sort of a hub for soccer fans in the city. That event will be taking place in Precinct 1 under commissioner Rodney Ellis.
"It will be like a party on the street and it's accessible by rail, you can ride a bike, you can walk. So the thought was make it somewhere where everybody can go and enjoy the experience of downtown Houston," says Commissioner Ellis.
The Source: FOX 26 Anchor Anthony Antoine was at the news conference on Monday and spoke with officials about the upcoming event.