
NRG Stadium will host the games. Photo courtesy of NRG Park.
International football fans, unite. Houston is a 2026 FIFA World Cup host city. The news, announced Thursday, June 16, caps a four-year effort by The Houston 2026 World Cup Bid Committee to bring the tournament here.
NRG Stadium will be one of 16 North American venues to host four to six games of the prestigious international football tournament. Canada and Mexico each will host three matches.
Houston 2026 organizers, which include a list of key local players, pitched Houston’s cultural diversity and NRG’s elite stadium status to the FIFA selection committee.
As soccer fans are well aware, the World Cup is a month-long tournament pitting elite and burgeoning sides. Powerhouse teams such as Brazil, Spain, and France face off against smaller nations such as Ghana and Peru in a showdown watched by billions across the globe — many who take vacations to travel or view the action at home.
Notably, pro soccer’s megastars such as the chiseled Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi return to their birth countries to compete, much like the Olympics.
For some perspective on the games’ scope, these World Cup matches could equate to Houston hosting six Super Bowls, by the sheer numbers.
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The Houston Astros are looking to avoid an unexpected sweep Wednesday night as they wrap up their three-game set against the Cleveland Guardians at Daikin Park.
Winners of six of their last ten despite back-to-back losses, the Astros (55-37) turn to left-hander Brandon Walter (1-1, 4.15 ERA) to steady the ship and salvage the finale. Walter has been reliable in his recent outings, and he’ll face a Guardians lineup that has struggled to string together hits, batting just .204 over their last 10 games.
Cleveland (42-48) entered the series on a 10-game losing streak, but now has a chance to sweep the AL West leaders and take the season series. Slade Cecconi (3-4, 3.56 ERA) gets the start for the Guardians. The 26-year-old righty has kept his ERA under 4.00 this year and will look to neutralize a Houston offense that leads the American League in batting average at .260 and is hitting .295 over the last 10 games.
All eyes remain on Jose Altuve, who has driven in 16 runs and slugged four homers over his last 10 games. He’s been the heartbeat of the Houston offense, while Isaac Paredes continues to deliver steady power at the top of the lineup. The Astros have scored five or more runs in eight of their last ten games, but the bullpen faltered late in both of the first two games of this series.
Cleveland counters with the steady presence of Carlos Santana and the always-dangerous Jose Ramirez. Though Ramirez is just 6-for-38 in his last 10 games, he’s delivered key home runs in the series and remains the Guardians’ biggest threat.
With the season series now 3-2 in favor of Cleveland, Wednesday’s matchup carries added weight for the Astros as they look to regroup and avoid letting momentum slip further. First pitch is set for 8:10 p.m. ET.
BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Astros -144, Guardians +121; over/under is 8 runs
Astros lineup for the finale
What stands out? First off, Jake Meyers returns to the lineup after missing a couple of games with a calf issue. With Meyers back in the two-spot, Cam Smith returns to hitting cleanup. Caratini is playing first base again and hitting fifth, followed by Yainer Diaz (C), Cooper Hummel (DH), Taylor Trammell (LF), and Mauricio Dubon (SS).
Image via: MLB.com/Screenshot.
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