The 2026 World Cup coming to Houston? Maybe.
Houston is one of 23 candidate host cities being considered, and some people say it just might happen.
“It’s just a completely different experience," former Dynamo player Brian Ching said.
Brian Ching knows more than most what the World Cup in Houston would mean.
“Just seeing people from all around the world kind of descend upon the cities and where the games are, and the countries where the games are," Ching said.
He saw it live from the field in Germany in 2006.
“It’s such a great atmosphere. It’s such a fun time. I think for a city, for us, to have something like that would be really, really special," Ching said.
We’re talking the Super Bowl on steroids.
“Somewhere between five and six matches over a 32-day period. And that’s an event we’ve never seen before in this city," said Doug Hall with Harris County - Houston Sports Authority.
Hall says they’ve been working on the bid since last year, calling it a united effort between the United States, Canada and Mexico.
The strategy is all three countries agree to share the responsibility of hosting - 10 matches in Canada, 10 in Mexico and 60 in the United States.
“We’ve got to make sure we’re got all the infrastructure ready for it. We’re going to build training sites, but this is all work we’ve done before, and we’re confident we’re going to do it again," Hall said.
Some U.S. cities, however, have already backed out, citing costs and FIFA tax cut demands, but Hall says the return will be worth the investment.
“It would be somewhere between $300 (million) to $500 million of economic impact for the city, and that’s a fantastic return on any event that brings international spotlight to a great city like ours," Hall said.
Right now, it’s between the United Bid and a bid from Morocco. Who will be chosen will be decided in June. Then, in about two years, 10 out of 17 U.S. cities will be chosen, and Houston hopes to be one of those cities.
