Everything’s Bigger in Texas – Including the 2026 World Cup

Everything’s Bigger in Texas – Including the 2026 World Cup News Everything’s Bigger in Texas – Including the 2026 World Cup July 15, 2026 When most Texans think of football, we think of Texas teams like the Dallas Cowboys, Houston Texans, Texas Longhorns, Fightin’ Texas Aggies, or even the local high school teams we root for under the Friday night lights. But to the rest of the world, football isn’t played on a 100-yard field – it’s played on a pitch and known as “fútbol.” The most anticipated event for billions of soccer fans across the globe is the quadrennial FIFA World Cup, and this summer, Texas became part of that story again as a host state for the 2026 World Cup. In 1904, FIFA, short for the Fédération Internationale de Football Association, was founded in Paris by representatives from seven national football associations: Belgium, Denmark, France, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland. The federation wanted to showcase the sport outside of the Olympic Games, as it was growing in popularity across the world. It wasn’t until 1930 that the first World Cup was played in Montevideo, Uruguay. Unlike today’s 48-team roster, only 13 nations competed in the inaugural game, including the United States. Ninety thousand fans witnessed history in the making when Uruguay beat Argentina 4-2 with the U.S. finishing third. Nowadays, the FIFA World Cup is one of the largest events in the world, and the United States, Mexico, and Canada co-hosted this year’s events. Texas was one of 11 states to host the games. Dallas hosted nine matches, the most of any other host city, and Houston was home to seven. The 16 Texas-based matches are estimated to have generated more than $3 billion for the Texas economy. While tens of millions of Americans have tuned in to watch the games on TV, North Texas hosted a total of 631,843 fans, while Houston ’s seven matches garnered 480,184 attendees. I was proud to have helped secure $625 million in the Working Families Tax Cuts Act to help local law enforcement ensure the safety of players, teams, and fans. Houston was awarded more than $64 million and Dallas was awarded more than $51 million of this funding to bolster security for attendees, infrastructure, and venues. As we look back on FIFA’s time in Texas, I want to take a moment to reflect on the cultural and economic impacts the matches have had outside the stadiums stretched across the Lone Star State. Cities investing in stadium upgrades, transportation, and fan zones have helped boost tourism throughout the Lone Star State. Let’s take the viral Germany fan, Freddy, for example. Freddy stopped at one of Texas’ most iconic places, Buc-ee’s, and was shocked at what the beaver-themed gas station had to offer, sharing his experience for all to see on social media. His cross-country journey introduced many of his nearly 755,000 followers to Texas culture and will inspire others to see what the buzz is about in the Lone Star State. In Houston , we also saw thousands of Netherlands fans flooding the streets in orange for their Oranje Fan Walk. And in North Texas, World Cup fans from Australia, Croatia, England, and Netherlands made their way to the Fort Worth Stockyards to purchase a cowboy hat and head down Exchange Avenue to see the cattle drive, followed by a rodeo and some world-famous Texas barbeque, and finishing the night at Billy Bob’s to line dance – a true Texas experience. As millions of highly enthusiastic fans poured into Texas, many businesses felt the positive impact of the games. Fans took to the roads and traveled across the state to see what we had to offer, stopping at local spots along the way. Restaurants and bars had a hard time keeping up with the intake of customers, some even running out of food after they increased their inventory for the matches. But they wouldn’t change it for the world, as the World Cup helped to boost their businesses, gave the fans a memorable experience, and helped Americans see our nation through the eyes of someone discovering all our country has to offer. As a lifelong Texan, I was excited to see fans from around the world travel to our state and embrace our culture. I was also glad to see our communities come together and give a big Texas welcome to those visiting. Long after the final whistle, the victory for Texas will be measured not only by the outcome of the World Cup, but also by the lasting friendships, memorable experiences, and global recognition of welcoming others to the Lone Star State. Everything is bigger in Texas, and during the 2026 World Cup, the Texas hospitality and the camaraderie between Texans and our guests from around the world were bigger than the game itself.