Host committee previews Fan Fest, volunteer program, ticketing and economic benefits

Host-committee leaders and Harris County officials outlined plans for a FIFA Fan Festival in Houston's EaDo district, a volunteer program, ticketing timeline and community benefits tied to World Cup 2026.

John Arnold, chairman of the FIFA World Cup 26 Houston Host Committee, called the Fan Fest a "pathway for where many of our out of town visitors are gonna really get to soak up the culture and spirit of this city." Chris Kanetti, the host committee president, described the festival as a 39-day event with large screens, stages and entertainment to gather fans during the tournament and said the festival will provide an opportunity to showcase Houston culture.

Kanetti said the host committee has staffed up in recent months and now has a team of more than 20 full-time employees and more than 200 people participating on volunteer committees for safety, transportation, human rights, sustainability and legacy work. He said volunteer applications will be available before the end of the year and that the program will ultimately require thousands of volunteers.

On ticketing, Kanetti said FIFA controls ticket sales and that tickets will go on sale in the fourth quarter of this year. "If anybody is interested in ticketing, what they need to do is go to the FIFA website FIFA.com/backslash tickets and register for tickets," he said. The host committee said hospitality suites and specialty packages are available now through the committee's offices.

Fundraising and corporate support were highlighted as enabling the host committee to stage elements of the event without municipal expense. Kanetti recognized corporate supporters including Coca-Cola, Houston Methodist, NRG, and Quanta Services and named donors CenterPoint Energy, Cheniere, Chevron, Sitco and Shell.

Elected officials highlighted efforts to ensure local economic benefit and broad participation. Harris County Commissioner Rodney Ellis said the host committee will track participation by small, women-owned and minority-owned businesses. Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo and Commissioner Leslie Briones noted the event's expected economic benefits. Hidalgo said estimates put the economic impact "into the billions," and Briones said the region can expect "over a $1,000,000,000 in economic impact." Officials connected the event to youth soccer investments and partnerships with local teams and nonprofits.

The committee and officials did not provide a breakdown of projected economic impacts, the method used for estimates, nor details on how the committee will measure small-business participation beyond pledges to track the data. Kanetti said the draw in December will assign which matches go to each host city and will trigger additional planning once specific match locales are known.

The host committee encouraged residents to follow official channels for volunteer, ticket and hospitality information and to expect further announcements later this year.