Statabet 26 47 days until kickoff
USA ★ Round of 16 · July 5 Groups E · F · H · K + Round of 32 + Round of 16 7 matches

Houston
HOU.

"Houston, we have a problem" — the voice of Apollo 13 and simultaneously the capital of American hip-hop since 2000: DJ Screw, Geto Boys, Beyoncé, Megan Thee Stallion, Travis Scott. NRG Stadium — the only one at World Cup 2026 with a retractable roof: Portugal plays here twice, Germany opens on June 14, Netherlands and Brazil head to the quarterfinals. On the map — RodeoHouston, Apollo Mission Control, Astrodome, Beer Can House and Buffalo Bayou. America's most diverse metropolis speaks 145 languages simultaneously.
7.5 million in Greater Houston +35°C · humidity 80% CT · UTC −5 (DST)
NRG Stadium2002, NRG Park
Stadium
72 220retractable roof
Capacity
75 group matches + Round of 32 + Round of 16
Matches
★ Round of 16July 5, 2026
Main match
Main arena

Stadium
«NRG».

NRG Stadium — General view
General view · Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA
NRG Stadium — Match atmosphere
Match Atmosphere · i.redd.it, photos from open sources
NRG Stadium — Facade · daytime
Facade · day · depositphotos.com, photos from open sources
NRG Stadium — Architecture
Architecture · sportsbusinessjournal.com, photos from open sources

NRG Stadium

Stadium in the NRG Park cluster, 12 kilometers south of downtown Houston. Opened in 2002, budget $352 million — the first in the NFL with a retractable roof of 2 sections at 256 meters each. Home of the Houston Texans (NFL) and year-round venue for RodeoHouston since 1932, Beyoncé Renaissance and Cowboy Carter Tour concerts, Final Four NCAA 2011 and 2016, Super Bowl LI 2017 (28:3 → 34:28 OT in favor of Patriots). At World Cup 2026 — 7 matches, main event — Round of 16 on July 5.

Opened
August 24, 2002
Cost
$352 million
Field size
105 × 68 m
Surface
Hybrid grass
Architect
HOK Sport
Club (NFL)
Houston Texans
Match days in Houston

Seven matches,
to Round of 16.

14Sun · June 14
Germany — CuraçaoGroup E · Round 1
12:00 CT
★ Germany
17Wed · June 17
Portugal — DR CongoGroup K · Matchday 1
12:00 CT
★ Portugal
20Sat · June 20
Netherlands — SwedenGroup F · Round 2
12:00 CT
★ Netherlands
23Tue · June 23
Portugal — UzbekistanGroup K · Matchday 2
12:00 CT
★ Portugal
26Fri · June 26
Cape Verde — Saudi ArabiaGroup H · Matchday 3
19:00 CT
Group
30Tue · June 30
2K — 2HRound of 16 · Match 87
15:00 CT
Knockout Stage
5Sun · July 5
Winner 1/16 — Winner 1/16Quarterfinals · Match 92
14:00 CT
★ Round of 16
Atmosphere · role · route

What you need to know
about the city.

Atmosphere

Cosmos, oil, rodeo and Beyoncé.

Houston — America's 4th-largest city, surpassed Chicago in 2024, and the most ethnically diverse metropolis in the US: 145 languages on the streets, 30% of residents foreign-born. This is where NASA Mission Control said "Houston, we have a problem" in 1970; where Beyoncé sang in the St. John's UMC choir at age 7; where DJ Screw invented chopped-and-screwed in the 1990s. The world's energy capital (23 Fortune 500 oil companies), birthplace of Tex-Mex, home to the planet's largest rodeo RodeoHouston (2.5 million visitors in March). And all of this under 80% humidity and 18-lane highways.

Most diverse US metro NASA · oil · rodeo · rap +35°C · humidity 80%
Role

Hub Portugal and a retractable roof.

5 group matches plus two knockout rounds. Portugal plays here twice (vs DR Congo on June 17 and Uzbekistan on June 23 — both at 12:00 to avoid melting in 35°C heat). Germany opens their World Cup on June 14 against Curaçao; Netherlands vs Sweden on June 20. HOU's main advantage — the only stadium at the tournament with a retractable roof, protection from the downpours typical of June in Texas.

5 group · 2 KO ★ Quarterfinals · July 5, 2026
Route — for fans

HOU → NASA & Galveston.

Free day — 40 minutes southeast to Johnson Space Center, tour of Apollo Mission Control and Saturn V. Another 40 minutes — Galveston Island beach and the Victorian The Strand (1870–1900). Along the way — Kemah Boardwalk with a Ferris wheel over the marina. By METRO light rail — no; you'll need a car or Uber from Clear Lake.

Climate

+35°C, 80% humidity. Retractable roof.

Subtropical wet: June–July — peak heat and thunderstorms. Daytime temperatures consistently +33–36°C with 80% humidity. All daytime matches (12:00 CT) — under NRG's closed roof, air conditioning maintains +21°C. Evening matches (19:00) — roof usually open, but rain can trigger closure in 12 minutes.

Fan zone

Discovery Green. 12 acres.

Official FIFA Fan Festival venue — a 12-acre downtown park since 2008. Giant screen on the lawn, food trucks (Underground Hall, Shake Shack), tex-mex and craft IPA from Saint Arnold (Texas's oldest brewery since 1994). 5 minutes' walk from Toyota Center and Minute Maid Park. Alternative — Buffalo Bayou with boat tours under downtown bridges.

Houston Map

Where to go,
what to see.

Loading weather…
All locations
Facts

Seven things
about Houston.

♫ · Sound of the City · Hip-hop · R&B · Texas blues

Houston — from Beyoncé to Travis Scott.

America's third rap capital after NYC and LA, birthplace of chopped-and-screwed (DJ Screw) and one of the most successful R&B dynasties — Beyoncé and Solange. Artists who grew up in Houston.

  1. 01
    Beyoncé feat. JAY-Z — Crazy in Love 2003 · Third Ward, Houston

    Debut single — #1 Billboard, Grammy. Beyoncé was born and raised in the Third Ward.

    Open in Yandex Music →
  2. 02
    Travis Scott — SICKO MODE 2018 · Missouri City (Houston metro)

    #1 Billboard. Scott brought Houston hyphy-rap back to the mainstream.

    Open in Yandex Music →
  3. 03
    Beyoncé — Halo 2008 · Third Ward, Houston

    Grammy for "Best Female R&B Vocal Performance." One of the most-played tracks at weddings over the decade.

    Open in Yandex Music →
  4. 04
    Megan Thee Stallion feat. Beyoncé — Savage Remix 2020 · Houston

    #1 Billboard. Duet by two Houston ladies. TikTok trend 2020.

    Open in Yandex Music →
  5. 05
    Nelly feat. Kelly Rowland — Dilemma 2002 · Houston

    #1 Billboard for 10 weeks. Kelly Rowland — Houston member of Destiny's Child.

    Open in Yandex Music →
  6. 06
    DJ Khaled — All I Do Is Win 2010 · Miami / Houston

    Top 25 Billboard. Chorus by Snoop Dogg, T-Pain, Ludacris, Rick Ross — exemplary collaboration.

    Open in Yandex Music →
  7. 07
    Solange — Cranes in the Sky 2016 · Third Ward, Houston

    Grammy. Beyoncé's sister created the album "A Seat at the Table" — a manifesto of contemporary black art.

    Open in Yandex Music →
  8. 08
    UGK feat. OutKast — Int'l Players Anthem (I Choose You) 2007 · Port Arthur TX (Houston metro)

    Pimp C and Bun B from Port Arthur — founding fathers of Houston hyphy. With OutKast: the South's defining collaboration of the 2000s.

    Open in Yandex Music →
  9. 09
    Geto Boys — Mind Playing Tricks on Me 1991 · Fifth Ward, Houston

    Manifesto of Southern rap in the late 80s. Without it, there would be no Travis Scott or Megan.

    Open in Yandex Music →
  10. 10
    ZZ Top — La Grange 1973 · Houston

    Texas blues-rock trio from Houston; one of the most distinctive guitar riffs of the 70s.

    Open in Yandex Music →