ABOUT
Houston is considered America's most diverse city, a sprawling, energetic metropolis where cultures from around the world converge. Alongside NASA's Mission Control and a globally celebrated restaurant scene, it offers excellent museums, a vibrant arts district, and a Southern warmth that makes visitors feel at home almost immediately.
Houston Dynamo are two-time MLS champions (2006 and 2007) and have helped make Texas's most diverse city a genuine football city. The club's fanbase reflects Houston's extraordinary demographic mix, the most ethnically diverse major city in the United States, with strong Mexican, Central American, and Caribbean communities for whom football is the primary sport.
NRG Stadium's retractable roof makes it a reliable venue, whatever the summer weather.
Houston hosts seven matches in 2026: five group stage games including Portugal vs DR Congo and Argentina vs Algeria, plus a round of 32 and a round of 16.
Houston
Getting FIFA World Cup 2026 Tickets
Tickets and ticket prices have been much of the talk for the World Cup, so far. Because of the high prices for the World Cup, it means there are still tickets available for most games.
This is the biggest World Cup ever, with 48 teams and 104 matches through the tournament, running from 11th June to 19th July. Here's everything you need to know.
Official channels first.
The Last-Minute Sales Phase launched on 1st April and runs through until the end of the tournament. Unlike earlier lottery phases, tickets are sold on a first-come, first-served basis with instant confirmation. Your FIFA ID needs to be active and payment details saved in advance, as inventory for high-profile matches in cities like New York and Los Angeles sells out within minutes of being released. All purchases go through FIFA.com/tickets.
The official resale route.
The FIFA Resale/Exchange Marketplace reopened on April 2 and remains open until one hour before each match's kick-off. Availability can be very limited, with tickets appearing sporadically, so best advice is to check frequently and act quickly. All transactions and ticket transfers are handled by FIFA, keeping the tickets digital throughout. There is no limit on the mark-up on tickets, so prices can vary. However, with dynamic pricing, there's always a chance some tickets get cheaper nearer to the game.
Third-party resale — proceed with caution.
Platforms like StubHub, Viagogo, and SeatGeek operate legally in many markets but are not recognised by FIFA as valid resale channels. FIFA has made clear that tickets bought outside the official system may be invalid or cancelled. FIFA has placed no restrictions on resale pricing, which has caused significant controversy — particularly for the final, where prices are expected to be extremely high.
Address: NRG Stadium, One NRG Park, Houston TX 77054
METRORail Red Line to the Reliant Park station (5 stops south of downtown).
Also accessible by rideshare. Capacity: 72,220. WC matches: 6 group-stage fixtures + 1 Round of 32.
FAN ZONE: FIFA Fan Festival Houston — East Downtown
Houston’s official fan festival will be in East Downtown, better known as EaDo, close to the city’s football bars, food spots and Shell Energy Stadium. It will run from June 11 to July 19 and open on every matchday, with big screens, food vendors, entertainment, music and interactive experiences. The setting should suit Houston well: informal, food-heavy, multicultural and built around long days of watching football in the heat.
Cost: General entry is free to the public. Premium hospitality such as the Legends Loft is available separately and can cost thousands for private group rental.
One of Houston's most stylish hotels, the Four Seasons is in Midtown with a beautiful pool, excellent restaurant and it is well located for downtown and the stadium.
A reliable, well-priced hotel in downtown Houston with comfortable rooms, good amenities and walking distance to local bars and restaurants.
A quirky, personality-filled boutique hotel in the Museum District, the ZaZa has dramatically styled rooms, a popular pool area and is just a short distance from the NRG Stadium.
MyCrib Houston provides the perfect base for exploring Texas's largest city, offering clean, comfortable accommodations with great communal spaces to meet other for travelers.
GULF COAST SEAFOOD AND MEXICAN INFLUENCE
Houston has a legitimate claim to being the most diverse and exciting food city in the United States. The numbers are extraordinary: Houston has over 10,000 restaurants serving food from over 70 countries – driven by the most diverse urban population in America. No single cuisine dominates; instead, multiple traditions coexist and interact to create a food scene of extraordinary breadth and quality.
Mexican and Tex-Mex food is the most prevalent – both the sophisticated interior Mexican cooking brought by the city's large Mexican-American community and the Texan fusion tradition of fajitas (genuinely invented in Houston in 1973), queso dip and enchiladas. The Vietnamese community in the Midtown and Bellaire areas has created a pho and banh mi culture that rivals any in the country. Nigerian, West African, Indian, Pakistani and Ethiopian cuisines each have full neighbourhoods of restaurants.
Gulf Coast seafood – shrimp, oysters, red snapper, blue crab – provides a local treasure that defines the city's finest restaurants.
Ninfa's invented the fajita in 1973 at this very location on Navigation Boulevard. The 'Original Ninfa's' on Navigation is a must-visit for anyone visiting Houston.
One of Houston's most beloved Tex-Mex chains, El Tiempo serves outstanding food in lively environments. The combo plates are generous portion sizes - a perfect pre-match option.
Located in the heart of downtown Houston near Minute Maid Park, Vic & Anthony's Steakhouse award-winning menu features only the finest prime beef and fresh seafood.
One of Houston's most acclaimed seafood restaurants, Willie G's menus are inspired by a passion for fresh gulf coast seafood, focusing on local, seasonal offerings.
TEQUILA, BEERS AND LATE NIGHTS
Houston's bar scene reflects the city's size, diversity and relaxed attitude to nightlife. The Montrose neighbourhood is the city's most vibrant area for bars and live music, with a mix of dive bars, craft beer spots and sophisticated cocktail lounges that attract a genuinely diverse clientele. The Heights neighbourhood, just north of downtown, has seen rapid growth in excellent breweries and cocktail bars.
The craft beer scene has strengthened considerably, with 8th Wonder, Karbach Brewing, Southern Star and a dozen other local producers offering excellent variety. Karbach Brewing (now MillerCoors-owned but still Houston-made) and 8th Wonder produce beers that are widely available across the city.
The cocktail scene has been transformed since Anvil Bar & Refuge opened in 2009 – now considered one of America's most influential cocktail bars. The bar's founding of Houston Cocktail Week and its training of a generation of Houston bartenders has elevated the entire market.
Mexican spirits – tequila, mezcal and emerging categories like sotol and raicilla – feature prominently on Houston's better bar menus, reflecting the city's deep Mexican cultural influences. The city's drinking culture tends toward the late and extended: many Houston bars are open until 2am on weekends.
A longstanding dedicated football pub and sports bar with extensive viewing, outdoor seating, and a proper pub atmosphere.
A large outdoor bar that has become the Dynamo supporters' unofficial home on match days. Dozens of craft beer taps, outdoor games, food options and a genuine pre-match atmosphere.
One of the most respected cocktail bars in America, Anvil helped establish Houston's reputation as a serious cocktail destination. The 100 Cocktails list is a masterclass.
A stone's throw from the NRG Stadium, this laid-back watering hole features pool tables and a great outdoor area - perfect for some pre-match beers.
Houston is the fourth largest city in the USA, the most ethnically diverse major city in the country and home to NASA's Johnson Space Center. Lacking the zoning regulations that shaped other American cities, Houston has grown into a unique urban sprawl that contains the most extraordinary collection of cultures, cuisines and communities of any city in North America. The museums, bayou parks, food scene and warm hospitality of this underestimated city reward those who take the time to explore it.
CURRENCY: US DOLLARS
The official visitor centre for NASA's Johnson Space Center – home of Mission Control and human spaceflight since 1962 – is one of the genuinely great American attractions.
A cluster of 19 museums within walking distance of each other in the Museum District makes Houston one of America's finest cultural cities, with many free to visit on certain days.
A revitalised urban park running along the bayou through downtown Houston, Buffalo Bayou Park is the city's finest public space.
An estimated 250,000 Mexican free-tailed bats call the bridge home. Get down for sunset to see a regular natural phenomenon
Greetings and Basics
H-Town – Houston's most used nickname
Bayou City – the formal nickname (Houston has 2,500 miles of bayou)
Space City – another nickname, reflecting the NASA heritage
METRO – Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County
METRORail – the light rail network
EaDo – East Downtown (the stadium neighbourhood)
Montrose – the arts and bar neighbourhood
The Heights – the Heights neighbourhood north of downtown
Midtown – the restaurant and bar district
Museum District – the cluster of 19 museums
Beltway 8 – the inner ring road (also called Sam Houston Tollway)
610 Loop – the central ring road
I-10 – the main east-west interstate
Karbach – popular Houston craft brewery
8th Wonder – space-themed craft brewery
BBVA – old name for Shell Energy Stadium
El Batallon – primary Dynamo supporter group
Texian Army – secondary Dynamo supporter group
Texas Derby – rivalry match against FC Dallas
Houston Texans – NFL team
Houston Astros – MLB team (World Series champions)
Houston Rockets – NBA team
Houston Dash – NWSL team (share Shell Energy Stadium)
Café Olla – traditional Mexican spiced coffee popular in Houston's Mexican community
Pho – Vietnamese noodle soup; a Houston daily staple