HARRIS COUNTY - HSA INSIDER

A weekly look at all things Houston sports from the Harris County - Houston Sports Authority: Soccer is growing

A weekly look at all things Houston sports from the Harris County - Houston Sports Authority: Soccer is growing
The U.S., Canada and Mexico are teaming up for the 2026 World Cup. Courtesy photo

The Harris County – Houston Sports Authority Insider will take you inside Houston Sports each Friday because #WeAreHoustonSports!

While most of you spent the week debating quarterbacks, American League MVP or the latest college football poll, a dozen or so square blocks of downtown Houston was focused on just one thing -- soccer.

Specifically taking the game to the next level. Well, make that levels.

Over at BBVA Compass Stadium, Houston Dynamo president Chris Canetti was bouncing from interview to interview in preparation for Tuesday night’s sold-out Western Conference Championship match at home against the Seattle Sounders.

This is his team’s seventh trip to the conference finals in 12 seasons and the first in three years and, no, he hasn’t tired of chatting about the Dynamo’s resurgence. Or about the chance to win a third MLS Cup title.

Meanwhile, a quarter of a mile to the west, representatives from 32 cities and officials from the United Bid Committee were meeting to discuss concepts and roles for an unprecedented three-country bid for the 2026 World Cup.

United Bid communications director Brian Reich said they came into the four days of meetings hoping to come up with one solid concept for the bid from the United States, Canada and Mexico. Instead, they’ve come up with multiple concepts every day and serious momentum for a bid that is due next spring.

“We’ve actually created a problem for ourselves,’’ he said. “We have great concepts, any of which could be transformative in the context of an event like this and we have to figure out how to put it together in a short period of time.’’

Yes, soccer is exploding in H-town. Again.

A decade ago, Canetti remembers a packed crowd rocking

Robertson Stadium to watch the Dynamo knock off the then-Kansas City Wizards.

“There’s no doubt no doubt that evening was a springboard to who we are as a brand,’’ said Canetti of the win that eventually led to a second consecutive MLS title. “It defined us.

“This is a chance for us to do that again.”

The Western Conference matchup sold out of reserved seats last Friday and sold out of standing room only tickets earlier this week.

“It’s going to be a great evening here for soccer and sports fans in the city,’’ Canetti said, “just like it was across the way at Minute Maid during the Astros playoff run.’’

“I think the Astros created a lot of positive energy around the city and around sports so there’s no question that some momentum built up around their magical World Series run, but I would also say we’ve created our own energy with our own success, bringing back the excitement that existed with the Dynamo for so many of our early years.’’

The Dynamo won back-to-back titles in their first two years (2006, 2007) and were in the finals again in 2011 and 2012, but lost to the Los Angeles Galaxy both times. Then, after three hard years, they’re back in the conference finals.

“The place will be rocking,’’ Canetti said. “It will be another moment in our brief history that helps us grow and helps us build.’’

Canetti has seen a steady growth in soccer fans over the years, noting the current base is a much wider group of fans, including Houstonians who don’t know soccer, but love the Dynamo. He sees even more room to expand the base, including drawing in international fans of other teams who move to Houston.

“Over time, we want them to love the Dynamo too,’’ he said.

And, now that the team has been here more than a decade, parents are beginning to pass their passion onto their children.

“I always like to explain it I grew up in Connecticut and I’m a New York Yankees fan,’’ he said. “My grandfather was a Yankees fan, my father was a Yankees fan and they taught me to be a Yankees fan unknowingly. They bought me Yankees caps and we watched Yankees game together on TV and went to Yankees games. So I was molded to be a Yankees fan.’’

It has happened with the Astros and Rockets, he said, so why not the Dynamo?

“Soccer is the fastest growing game in this country, Major League Soccer is the fastest growing league with enormous upside,’’ Canetti said. “When you look at the demographic in this country, it lines up perfect for soccer. When you look at amount of participants on youth and adult level, it’s enormous.’’

That same growth is one of the major reasons the United bid -- #2026United – appears so strong. Reich said FIFA wants to grow the soccer fan base by a billion people over the next decade and a lot of that growth will come from North America.

“The whole soccer global community benefits, in our view, from a United bid,’’ he said. “There’s great growth and engagement in all three countries.’’

The U.S. is now three decades removed from hosting an impressive 1994 World Cup, which still holds the World Cup record for most tickets sold. Mexico has a 75-year legacy of passionate soccer fans and Canada is an emerging soccer nation. If successful, the United bid calls for the U.S. to host 60 of the 80 games, with Canada and Mexico hosting 10 each.

Only 12-16 of the cities meeting here will host games, but all 32 could be involved. Those not hosting games could be home to  training facilities and base camps, for example.

“We want to highlight what makes each of these potential host cities such a powerful, exciting contributor to the United bid as a whole,’’ Reich said.

Organizers chose Houston, one of the 32 cities, to host the meetings after Hurricane Harvey. Reich said it has been the perfect site. Not only is it centrally located for the other cities, but it accommodated all their needs with downtown meeting facilities and hotels and restaurants within walking distance.

“It’s a city a lot of people haven’t seen,’’ he said. “They’re looking out and seeing Minute Maid (Park),  seeing BBVA just off the balcony of the hotel kind of thing and they think of the city as a sports entity. It offered a lot of inspiration for folks.’’

As have those meetings. Reich said all the cities have taken ideas to the next level with their innovative thoughts, sharing them with each other in meetings and networking. The organizers have to spend the next month refining them for the rough draft of the United bid, then, after a few more tweaks, they will submit the final draft in March.

“It’s a truly united bid,’’ Reich said, “which is the power of soccer. It transcends politics and cultural differences . . .It’s not just about 30 days in June and July of 2026. It’s about the next eight years if we get the chance to host and about the legacy we leave behind.’’

And the sport itself.

“If we’re going to build a sport, if you look at the diversity that exists across these three countries,’’ Reich said, “soccer is one of those things that can legitimately unite people.’’

Most Popular

SportsMap Emails
Are Awesome

Listen Live

ESPN Houston 97.5 FM
Welcome to Houston, Nick! Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images.

Nick Chubb didn’t expect to be a Houston Texan. At least, not until he got the call on a quiet Saturday at home and was on a flight the next day. It happened fast — too fast, even, for the four-time Pro Bowler to fully process what it all meant. But now that he’s here, it’s clear this wasn’t a random landing spot. This was a calculated leap, one Chubb had been quietly considering from afar.

The reasons he chose Houston speak volumes not only about where Chubb is in his own career, but where the Texans are as a franchise.

For one, Chubb saw what the rest of the league saw the last two seasons: a young team turning the corner. He admired the Texans from a distance — the culture shift under head coach DeMeco Ryans, the explosive rise of C.J. Stroud, and the physical tone set by players like Joe Mixon. That identity clicked with Chubb. He’d been a fan of Ryans for years, and once he got in the building, everything aligned.

“I came here and saw a bunch of guys who like to work and not talk,” Chubb said. “And I realized I'm a perfect fit.”

As for his health, Chubb isn’t running from the injuries that cost him parts of the past two seasons, he’s owning them. But now, he says, they’re behind him. After a full offseason of training the way he always has — hitting his speed and strength benchmarks — Chubb says he’s feeling the best he has in years. He’s quick to remind people that bouncing back from major injuries, especially the one he suffered in 2023, is rarely a one-year journey. It takes time. He’s given it time.

Then there’s his fit with Mixon. The two aren’t just stylistic complements, they go way back. Same recruiting class, same reputation for running hard, same respect for each other’s games. Chubb remembers dreading matchups against the Bengals in Cleveland, worrying Mixon would take over the game. Now, he sees the opportunity in pairing up. “It’ll be us kinda doing that back-to-back against other defenses,” he said.

He’s also well aware of what C.J. Stroud brings to the table. Chubb watched Stroud nearly dismantle Georgia in the College Football Playoff. Then he saw it again, up close, when Stroud lit up the Browns in the postseason. “He torched us again,” Chubb said. Now, he gets to run alongside him, not against him.

Stroud made a point to welcome Chubb, exchanging numbers and offering support. It may seem like a small thing, but it’s the kind of leadership that helped sell Chubb on the Texans as more than just a good football fit — it’s a good locker room fit, too.

It appears the decision to come to Houston wasn’t part of some master plan. But in retrospect, it makes perfect sense. Chubb is a player with a no-nonsense work ethic, recovering from adversity, looking to write the next chapter of a career that’s far from over. And the Texans? They’re a team on the rise, built around guys who want to do the same.

You can watch the full interview in the video below.

And for those wondering how Joe Mixon feels about Nick Chubb, check out this video from last season. Let's just say he's a fan.


*ChatGPT assisted.

___________________________

Looking to get the word out about your business, products, or services? Consider advertising on SportsMap! It's a great way to get in front of Houston sports fans. Click the link below for more information!

https://houston.sportsmap.com/advertise

SportsMap Emails
Are Awesome