Houston Scores Big
As the city preps for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, a UH economist and soccer coach weigh in on the event’s potential economic and cultural impacts.
By Staci Parks
Houston Scores Big
As the city preps for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, a UH economist and soccer coach weigh in on the event’s potential economic and cultural impacts.
By Staci Parks
Next summer, Houston’s NRG Stadium will host seven 2026 FIFA World Cup games over the span of three weeks — a feat the city has been preparing for since it was announced in 2022.
An event of this magnitude has plenty of positive implications, including helping Houston position itself as a “world-class city.” We spoke to Steven Craig, University of Houston economics professor, and Ben Williams, Houston Soccer head coach, for their insights on how the World Cup could impact the Bayou City for years to come.
UH economics professor Steven Craig (left) and head soccer coach Ben Williams weigh in on how the incoming World Cup could impact Houston’s athletic and economic life.
UH economics professor Steven Craig (left) and head soccer coach Ben Williams weigh in on how the incoming World Cup could impact Houston’s athletic and economic life.
“Houston, clearly, is a major league city,” Craig says. “It’s done a good job of marketing itself.”
While the buzz around global attention is warranted, the actual economic impact is more nuanced. Houston is “not naturally a tourist destination,” Craig says, citing sweltering summers, an absence of scenic vistas and a lack of distinct cultural identity found in neighboring cities like San Antonio.
In the case of the World Cup, that’s a good thing, according to Craig. Every tourist is “an addition” in Houston because they aren’t “crowding out” other competing tourists. “The short-term impact on Houston is bigger than it would be most other places,” he says.
Houston is rife with great, varied entertainment options, which will inevitably lead to an economic spike in the city’s hospitality and entertainment industries. “A lot of the concentrated financial activity that you see at that time is just a substitute for much more dispersed entertainment around the city, both geographically and in time,” Craig says. “So the net economic impact is really from the visitors.”
But Craig notes that this is “periodic business,” and it’s “not the same thing as building a new industry.”
Fun fact: A UH alumna designed the Houston World Cup 2026 poster. Read about artist Stephanie Leal (’21), who grew up playing soccer.
Fun fact: A UH alumna designed the Houston World Cup 2026 poster. Read about artist Stephanie Leal (’21), who grew up playing soccer.
The World Cup can be part of a broader strategy to position Houston as an attractive, dynamic city that’s capable of hosting major international events — potentially placing it in the spotlight for future business deals, including corporate relocations.
When cities get extra traffic and attention from events like the Olympics or World Cup, there tends to be a slight increase in business relocations over the following five years. “Hosting part of the World Cup might put [Houston] on that list when it wouldn’t otherwise,” Craig says.
Williams, in his inaugural season as Houston Soccer head coach, echoes Craig’s optimism. “[The World Cup] just gets more eyeballs seeing Houston as a soccer city,” he says.
Williams is no stranger to the game and its global impact. He grew up in “soccer-crazy” Liverpool, England, and played four seasons with the Oklahoma Wesleyan Eagles before embarking on a successful coaching career, which has included leading Stephen F. Austin’s Ladyjacks to the largest single-season turnaround in Division I in 2024.
“A big thing about soccer is how it brings multiple cultures together to watch one game,” Williams says. “A big part of it translates to the city we’re in, which is a very multicultural, diverse city. I think that replicates, on a very small scale, what the World Cup is about.”
Williams hopes to coordinate “kickabouts,” or informal soccer games, at the stadium and fan zones with UH soccer players to build on the World Cup’s excitement and interest.
Watching the World Cup on a global stage “changes everything,” creating an opportunity for it to spark interest in the sport from both prospective fans and players. “It’s going to be people from every country here, seeing their country play soccer,” Williams says. “You might inspire another future kid who isn’t involved in the sport right now.”
The World Cup can be part of a broader strategy to position Houston as an attractive, dynamic city that’s capable of hosting major international events — potentially placing it in the spotlight for future business deals, including corporate relocations.
When cities get extra traffic and attention from events like the Olympics or World Cup, there tends to be a slight increase in business relocations over the following five years. “Hosting part of the World Cup might put [Houston] on that list when it wouldn’t otherwise,” Craig says.
Williams, in his inaugural season as Houston Soccer head coach, echoes Craig’s optimism. “[The World Cup] just gets more eyeballs seeing Houston as a soccer city,” he says.
Fun fact: A UH alumna designed the Houston World Cup poster. Click here to read all about artist Stephanie Leal (’21), who grew up playing soccer.
Fun fact: A UH alumna designed the Houston World Cup poster. Click here to read all about artist Stephanie Leal (’21), who grew up playing soccer.
Williams is no stranger to the game and its global impact. He grew up in “soccer-crazy” Liverpool, England, and played four seasons with the Oklahoma Wesleyan Eagles before embarking on a successful coaching career, which has included leading Stephen F. Austin’s Ladyjacks to the largest single-season turnaround in Division I in 2024.
“A big thing about soccer is how it brings multiple cultures together to watch one game,” Williams says. “A big part of it translates to the city we’re in, which is a very multicultural, diverse city. I think that replicates, on a very small scale, what the World Cup is about.”
Williams hopes to coordinate “kickabouts,” or informal soccer games, at the stadium and fan zones with UH soccer players to build on the World Cup’s excitement and interest.
Watching the World Cup on a global stage “changes everything,” creating an opportunity for it to spark interest in the sport from both prospective fans and players. “It’s going to be people from every country here, seeing their country play soccer,” Williams says. “You might inspire another future kid who isn’t involved in the sport right now.”
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