HARRIS COUNTY CONNECTHARRIS COUNTY CONNECT POLICYPOLICY COMMUNITYCOMMUNITYCOUNTY GOVERNMENT NEWSCOUNTY GOVERNMENT NEWS Stay informed, subscribe now for monthly insights, Harris County initiatives, and upcoming events! Looking Back at an Unforgettable World CupLooking Back at an Unforgettable World Cup It’s been an incredible month! More than 480,184 fans from 13 nations spanning five continents visited our community to attend the seven matches at Houston Stadium during the World Cup. All of Harris County came together during the World Cup to show the world that our community is welcoming, fun, and capable of hosting world-class events. The World Cup brought out the very best of our community, and Judge Hidalgo was proud to represent Harris County throughout this historic tournament, celebrating alongside fans and meeting with international leaders and business executives. SUMMER 2026 Page 1 From the Office of Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo From the Office of Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo The World Cup was an opportunity to showcase Harris County as a global destination for investment, and strengthen international economic development, trade, tourism and international partnerships that will create opportunities in our region. Thank you so much to all of the volunteers, workers, first responders, and community leaders who worked to make sure the World Cup was a once-in-a-lifetime experience for residents and visitors. Keep reading below for a recap of the World Cup in Harris County!

SUMMER 2026Page 2 Beyond making sure that the World Cup was an unforgettable experience for residents and visitors, Judge Hidalgo utilized the tournament as an opportunity to advance Harris County’s global presence. From Uzbekistan to Canada, she met with business executives and government leaders from every corner of the globe to build international relationships in order to: Deepen trade mission relationships: Judge Hidalgo has led three trade missions to six countries (France, Taiwan, Japan, the Netherlands, Portugal, and Germany) to drive foreign investment to Harris County. The World Cup provided Judge Hidalgo with a unique opportunity to demonstrate to foreign leaders visiting Harris County for the matches why our community is an exceptional place to invest, do business, and build lasting partnerships. Building Connections Beyond Competition Judge Hidalgo joined Frank Marchetti, the Consul General of France in Houston, for the Japan v. Brazil match. During the DRC v. Portugal match, Judge Hidalgo visited with the leaders of major Taiwanese international companies that are expanding or looking to expand in Harris County as a result of her trade missions. Building on her trade mission connections from Japan, Judge Hidalgo met with Takeshi Koyama, Consul General of Japan in Houston and Tsuneyasu Miyamoto, President of the Japan Football Association (JFA) during the Japan v. Brazil match in Houston.

SUMMER 2026Page 3 The Netherlands is one of Harris County’s largest international trading partners. Judge Hidalgo’s trade mission to the Netherlands last spring connected business and sports. The World Cup provided Judge Hidalgo the opportunity to reconnect with the Royal Dutch Football Association KNVB leadership and meet with Lisette den Breems, Consul General of the Netherlands in Miami; Consul General Aura Cuellar, Honorary Consul General of the Netherlands in Houston; Birgitta Tazelaar, Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to the United States; Mirjam Sterk, Dutch Minister of Long-Term Care, Youth and Sport; and KNVB leaders including President Frank Paauw. Building Connections Beyond Competition [Cont’d] Judge Lina Hidalgo is photograghed with representatives from the Netherlands. President of the Royal Dutch Football Association (KNVB ), Frank Paauw poses with Lisette den Breems, Consul General, Kingdom of the Netherlands (Miami). Judge Hidalgo poses with Her Excellency Birgitta Tazelaar, Her Excellency Mirjam Sterk, Dutch Minister of Long-Term Care, Youth and Sport, and Lisette den Breems, Consul General, Kingdom of the Netherlands. Her Excellency Birgitta Tazelaar, Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to the United States.

SUMMER 2026Page 4 Judge Hidalgo enjoyed building relationships with the Portuguese community in Houston, especially after Harris County’s trade mission to Lisbon earlier this year. Judge Hidalgo met with Portuguese leaders including President António José Seguro; Jose Aguiar-Branco, the President of the Portuguese Parliament; Margarida Balseiro Lopes, the Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport for Portugal; H.E. Francisco Duarte Lopes, Ambassador of Portugal to the United States; Jose Ivo, Honorary Consul General of Portugal in Houston; and Pedro Proença, the Portuguese Football Association President. Building Connections Beyond Competition [Cont’d] Judge Lina Hidalgo is photograghed at FIFA World Cup game in Miami. Judge Hidalgo chats with H.E. José Pedro Aguiar-Branco, President of the Portuguese Parliament, after presenting him with an honorary Texas belt buckle. Judge Hidalgo joined German football fans, including Consul General of Germany in Houston, Kai Hennig, to celebrate German football and continue building the connections she started on her trade mission to Frankfurt earlier this year. Judge Hidalgo had the honor of welcoming the new Consul General from Ukraine, Vitalii Moshkivskyi, to show Harris County’s solidarity with Ukraine.

SUMMER 2026Page 5 Build new cultural partnerships: Harris County’s diversity is part of what makes our community so welcoming to international visitors from all over the globe. Judge Hidalgo enjoyed using the World Cup as an opportunity to connect with both local and international communities, from the Congolese community to fans from Cabo Verde and everyone in between. Building these new relationships helps show the rest of the world that Harris County is a place that welcomes people from all over the world. Building Connections Beyond Competition [Cont’d] Judge Hidalgo and youth from the Greater Houston Area Boys and Girls Club attending the DRC training camp. Judge Hidalgo welcomes the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s National Team to Harris County at a community training session and meets with Kapinga Yvette Ngandu, the Ambassador of the DRC to the U.S. Presentation of the Guinness World Record for the smallest nation to qualify for the World Cup tournament. A highlight of World Cup festivities was joining Curaçao to celebrate the country breaking the Guinness World Record as the smallest nation to ever qualify for the tournament! Judge Hidalgo met with Curaçao leaders including Gilmar Pisas, Prime Minister of Curaçao; Mauritsz de Kort, Governor of Curaçao; Fergino Brownbill, President of Parliament; Charles Cooper, Minister of Finance and VVRP (Traffic, Transport, and Urban Planning); Honorable Sithree Van Heydoorn, Minister of OWCS Education, Science, Culture & Sports; Dr. Roderick Middelhof, Economic Minister; Honorable Lisette den Breems, Consul General, Kingdom of the Netherlands; Gilbert Martina, the President of the Curaçao Football Federation (FFK); CINEX (the Curaçao Investment and Export Promotion Agency).

SUMMER 2026Page 6 During the Portugal v. Uzbekistan match, Judge Hidalgo met with Uzbek Ambassador to the U.S., Canada and Brazil Furkat Sidikov to talk about opportunities for economic investment, cultural exchange, and friendship across boundaries. Building Connections Beyond Competition [Cont’d] At a special game in Miami, Judge Hidalgo had the chance to meet with Miami-Dade County Mayor, Daniella Levine Cava; the renowned footballer Pepe; Portuguese Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport Margarida Balseiro Lopes; Portuguese Ambassador to the United States Francisco António Duarte Lopes; Colombian Ambassador to the United States Daniel García-Peña Jaramillo; Secretary of State Marco Rubio; Miami FIFA Host Committee Co-Chair Beau Ferrari; FIFA President Gianni Infantino; and music legends Gloria and Emilio Stefan. Establish Harris County’s legacy as a world-class community: It took years of hard work to bring the World Cup to Harris County, and it doesn’t end here. Judge Hidalgo met with major leaders throughout including FIFA President Gianni Infantino and FIFA Chief Operating Officer Heimo Schirgi to cement Harris County’s legacy as a world-class community capable of hosting more major sporting events like this in the future, which will help drive even more economic benefit to our region. Judge Lina Hidalgo joined fans from Canada and Morocco for another exciting World Cup match in Houston and met with Chafika El Habti, Consul General of the Kingdom of Morocco in Miami, to showcase Harris County’s hospitality, diversity, and global spirit.

SUMMER 2026Page 7Inspiring the Next Generation of Fans Growing up in Latin America, Judge Hidalgo – like many other kids – always dreamed of attending a World Cup. She was over the moon when she learned that the World Cup was coming to Harris County, but she quickly realized that she couldn’t afford to go to as many matches as she would have wanted to. That got her thinking about how many other youth and families wanted to attend the matches but couldn’t afford to. Judge Hidalgo wanted to ensure that as many Harris County residents as possible could enjoy this once-in- a-lifetime opportunity, and so she started looking for ways to help. That’s why Judge Hidalgo invested campaign funds to purchase 250 Cape Verde v. Saudi Arabia FIFA World Cup match tickets, giving hundreds of Harris County kids and chaperones the opportunity to be part of a historic global moment in their community. Working with the Houston World Cup Host Committee and FIFA, Judge Hidalgo purchased the 250 tickets at a discounted rate of $170 each, investing more than $41,000 to benefit Harris County youth. She partnered with Interfaith Ministries for Greater Houston, the Boys and Girls Club, and Harris County Precinct 1 Commissioner Rodney Ellis to distribute them. Judge Hidalgo distributed the tickets as follows: 95 tickets to Interfaith Ministries Network: Refugee, immigrant, and newcomer youth, reached through a hub agency and its vetted resettlement and refugee-youth partners. 65 tickets to the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Houston, the region’s leading youth-development organization. They engage, educate, and empower youth in ways that improve their chances of achieving and sustaining academic and economic success. 80 tickets to Commissioner Ellis Community Partners: Black and historically underserved youth, foster and homeless youth, opportunity youth, and military-connected families. Judge Hidalgo Reserve: 10 tickets were reserved for Judge Hidalgo’s staff to help manage logistics on match day. It was such a special experience for Judge Hidalgo and the kids to witness history together! By donating these tickets, Judge Hidalgo is working to inspire the next generation of fans and uplift Harris County’s kids. Judge Hidalgo attends the Cabo Verde v. Saudi Arabia World Cup game with Harris County youth who received tickets she purchased and donated to Harris County community partners. Judge Hidalgo attends the Cabo Verde v. Saudi Arabia World Cup game with Harris County youth who received tickets she purchased and donated to Harris County community partners.

Safety On and Off the Sidelines SUMMER 2026Page 8 Last but not least, Judge Hidalgo and all of Harris County’s emergency management partners worked around the clock to ensure that the World Cup was a safe and fun experience. Judge Hidalgo advocated for FIFA leaders to improve heat safety measures and help keep folks cool. Judge Hidalgo also stayed in close touch with the Harris County Public Health Department, the City of Houston and community health leaders to create a live dashboard monitoring travelers coming into Harris County from Ebola-affected regions and to inform the public if there are any confirmed Ebola cases (cases remain at 0 in Harris County). When heavy rains threatened to disrupt some of the World Cup activities, Judge Hidalgo and the Harris County Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Management stepped up flood safety messaging to help keep folks safe in our region who might not be used to Harris County weather conditions. The World Cup took all of our region’s partners working together in lock-step. There’s a reason that Heimo Schirgi, the Chief Operating Officer for the World Cup, called Houston one of the most well- prepared host cities. Thank you so much to all of our first responders and law enforcement partners who helped keep Harris County safe during this major event! In addition to a full month celebrating the World Cup, Judge Hidalgo also found time to tend to other county business: The Houston Ship Channel is one of Harris County’s most vital economic powerhouses, generating more than $1.1 trillion in annual commerce and housing more than 240,000 vessels per year. Judge Hidalgo met with U.S. Coast Guard Deputy Commander Captain Nicole Rodriguez to learn about how the Coast Guard keeps this vital shipping lane safe and prepared to respond to emergencies. Captain Rodriguez gave Judge Hidalgo a briefing and tour to discuss the Coast Guard's statutory missions; search and rescue, maritime security, and environmental protection, as well as the importance of coordination among local, state, and federal partners. Thank you to the Coast Guard for everything you do! Judge Hidalgo receives a tour of the Houston Ship Channel from U.S. Coast Guard Deputy Commander Captain Nicole Rodriguez. Security Harris County’s Ports Judge Hidalgo checks in with the emergency response team at the FIFA Fan Festival to check protocol on water station availability.

SUMMER 2026Page 9 Promoting Economic Empowerment Judge Lina Hidalgo met with Liliana Rambo, CEO of SERJobs, to discuss workforce development, economic opportunity, and pathways to employment for Harris County residents. Strong partnerships with organizations like SERJobs help connect people to training, career resources, and opportunities that support long-term economic mobility and strengthen our communities. Learn more at: https://www.serjobs.org/about-usSupporting Community Efforts to Expand Early Childhood Education Supporting Community Efforts to Expand Early Childhood Education Judge Lina Hidalgo met with Dr. Nasruddin Rupani and his team to learn more about the mental health programs and community services provided by the Rupani Foundation and the Ibn Sina Foundation. The Rupani Foundation received $4 million from Harris County to support their “Thriving Together” program, which helped provide family support workshops and early childhood education for families. The discussion highlighted the importance of expanding access to behavioral health resources, early childhood education, and supporting partnerships that strengthen the well-being of Harris County families. Judge Hidalgo meets with Dr. Nasruddin Rupani and the Rupani Foundation, which does vital work to support community mental health, early childhood education, and refugee/immigrant communities. Judge Hidalgo meets with Dr. Nasruddin Rupani and the Rupani Foundation, which does vital work to support community mental health, early childhood education, and refugee/immigrant communities. Judge Hidalgo meets with Liliana Rambo, the CEO of SERJobs, to learn more about the organization’s work to promote apprenticeship programs and workforce development. Judge Hidalgo meets with Liliana Rambo, the CEO of SERJobs, to learn more about the organization’s work to promote apprenticeship programs and workforce development.