Official Harris County government newsletter covering the 2026 World Cup hosted in Houston. Reports on fan attendance, international diplomacy, trade missions, and community engagement led by Judge Lina Hidalgo.
This is the Summer 2026 edition of the Harris County Connect newsletter, published by the Office of Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo. It recaps the World Cup hosted in Houston, focusing on the county's role as a global host and the economic and diplomatic opportunities created by the tournament.
The newsletter reports that more than 480,184 fans from 13 nations visited for seven matches at Houston Stadium. Judge Hidalgo describes how the event showcased Harris County as a destination for investment, trade, tourism, and international partnerships.
A major section details Judge Hidalgo's meetings with foreign leaders during matches. She met with consuls general, ambassadors, and football federation presidents from France, Japan, the Netherlands, Portugal, Germany, Ukraine, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Curaçao, Uzbekistan, Morocco, and Canada. These meetings built on trade missions she led to France, Taiwan, Japan, the Netherlands, Portugal, and Germany.
The newsletter covers cultural partnerships and community engagement. Judge Hidalgo welcomed the DRC national team, celebrated Curaçao's Guinness World Record as the smallest nation to qualify, and met with youth from the Boys and Girls Club at a training camp.
A separate section describes Judge Hidalgo's initiative to purchase 250 tickets to the Cape Verde v. Saudi Arabia match at $170 each, investing over $41,000 of campaign funds. Tickets were distributed through Interfaith Ministries, the Boys and Girls Club, and Commissioner Rodney Ellis's office to refugee, immigrant, and underserved youth.
The final pages cover safety and security efforts during the World Cup, including heat safety measures, Ebola monitoring, and flood safety messaging. It also reports a tour of the Houston Ship Channel with the U.S. Coast Guard and a meeting with SERJobs CEO Liliana Rambo about workforce development.