Houston begins 100-day countdown to 2026 FIFA World Cup with infrastructure updates, events and displays

March 3 marked the official start date of the last 100 days until the 2026 FIFA World Cup comes to Houston, and city leaders have begun to mark the milestone with updates, visual displays and events.

What's new

The city has begun to celebrate with visual displays, including the illumination of prominent buildings in Downtown Houston's skyline. City Hall, 1000 Main and the Bank of America Tower will now shine blue, Houston's official FIFA World Cup color, to celebrate the milestone.

Officials with the display said they encourage residents to join the celebration by posting their photos of the buildings on social media, using #FIFAWorldCup.

In similar news

Aside from visual displays, some entities within Houston are also beginning to prep infrastructure for the arrival of the tournament and the influx of visitors it will bring in June.

CenterPoint Energy officials said in a March 4 news release that the company's electric, natural gas and emergency response teams have started to prepare as tens of thousands of "enthusiastic fans gear up to descend on Houston."

What's happening?

CenterPoint is coordinating with local stakeholders and leaders to perform hazard mitigation inspections of the company's equipment and field reviews serving event-zone areas, such as NRG Stadium, airports and key hospitality locations.

“The World Cup is a once-in-a-generation opportunity for Houston", CenterPoint Chief Operating Officer Jesus Soto said in the release. "Our teams are committed to powering every moment, whether it’s the lights at NRG Stadium, hotels hosting international guests, or the fan festivals downtown. The preparations we’ve been taking are crucial to making this event a success.”

CenterPoint's natural gas operations teams are also carrying out a comprehensive readiness plan to support World Cup activities, per the release. The plan includes performing inspections and making any needed repairs to critical sites across the city. Daily patrols in specific areas have also been implemented, with coverage expected to expand before matches begin in the summer.

Also of note

Houston City Council also applied for an $80 million grant in February to enhance security at the 2026 FIFA World Cup and begin preparation for the public safety aspect of the tournament.

The grant is expected to help enhance public safety initiatives and allow the purchase of safety equipment, traffic and crowd management, communication tools and drones, according to previous Community Impact coverage.

Looking ahead

As the countdown to the tournament continues, several events and milestones are expected to take place across the city over the next few months, including:

• Road to the Cup: A 7v7 youth soccer tournament for boys and girls ages U11 through U18/19 will take place March 6-8.
• 50-day countdown: April 2 will mark 50 days until the start of the tournament.
• Fan Festival: Construction of the FIFA Fan Festival in East Downtown will start May 1.
• Trophy Tour by Coca-Cola: Fans will be able to see the original FIFA World Cup Trophy as it tours across North America. The tour will hit Houston on May 2-3.

Houston will host seven matches of the 2026 FIFA World Cup at NRG Stadium, dubbed Houston Stadium for the tournament, June 14-July 4.