The 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off today! From some of the best watch parties in the city to info on all the big games happening at NRG Stadium, we’ll make sure you don’t miss a single goal with this newsletter full of World Cup events!

The action doesn’t stop on the pitch this month, either. Get ready for a night full of hard hits and high-flying dives when All Elite Wrestling arrives at the Smart Financial Centre at Sugar Land for Dynamite and Collision this coming Wednesday! Enter here for your chance to win a pair of tickets to this massive double show!

PLAY BALL

• World Cup games may not start in Houston until Sunday, but you can still become part of the global celebration right now! The FIFA Fan Festival opens in EaDo today with a 45-foot viewing screen, interactive fan zones, and more!

• Get a true matchday feel while watching the United States’ first World Cup game against Paraguay by heading to the free Shell Energy Stadium watch party.

• See beautiful works of art inspired by the World Cup at Mitochondria Gallery’s A Beautiful Game: Every Match Leaves A Mark and Houston Plays the World at Sawyer Yards.

• The World Cup begins in Houston this Sunday with Group E play as young Bayern Munich star Jamal Musiala and 10th-ranked Germany face a game Curacao!

• One of the greatest to ever play takes the pitch in Houston on Wednesday when Cristiano Ronaldo leads Portugal into a Group K match with DR Congo!

THE ULTIMATE WORLD CUP GUIDE

This is it! Everything you need to know about the World Cup in Houston is right here! We break down the tournament itself, each match at NRG stadium and so much more. Whether you’re looking to buy jerseys, enjoy a unique World Cup-themed event or simply get a better understanding of what all the excitement is about, you can find it all in this comprehensive guide!

THIS WEEK

LOCALS ONLY

• Houston Sports Highlight of the Week: The Astros and the Space Cowboys received a new prospect this week when Houston traded for infielder Raynel Delgado from the Rays in exchange for cash considerations. The versatile Delgado, who will be reporting to Sugar Land, has played three infield positions in Triple-A so far this season. See more about the Astros’ new prospect here!

• College Sports Report: One of best track-and-field athletes in Rice Owls history is receiving a hall of fame induction. Candace Lessmeister was recently named as part of the Southwestern Conference 2026 Hall of Fame Class. A three-time All-American, Lessmeister was a nine-time champion for the Owls across multiple events. Learn more about her amazing career, along with her upcoming induction, here.

• The Sports Story You Need to See: With the first World Cup matchup, Mexico versus South Africa, starting in just a couple hours, check out tournament predictions from 19 ESPN experts from around the globe! From underdog selections to U.S. Men’s National Team predictions, you’re going to want to see how these ESPN experts view the tournament. See the predictions here!

• What We’re Watching: Both the NHL and NBA are bringing the fireworks in their respective finals! The edge-of-your-seat action across the Stanley Cup so far already has The Athletic questioning whether this is the “Best Stanley Cup Final ever.” Make sure you don’t miss Game 5 tonight at 7:00 p.m. by finding out how to catch the game here. The Spurs and Knicks are also bringing the heat as we root for San Antonio to come out on top of this intense series. Wemby and the Spurs will be heading back home for Game 5 this Saturday.

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