FIFA Fan Festival reopens for some hours today due to weather, organizers say: Live updates

ByABC13 Digital Team KTRK logo
Last updated: Tuesday, June 16, 2026 8:30PM GMT
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HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- The FIFA World Cup is here, and Houstonians are expected to swarm fan events and local businesses as the soccer event seizes the summer.

H-Town is hosting seven matches, but fans will have plenty of other things to enjoy in the Bayou City.

ABC13 has live updates to keep all Houstonians, from soccer aficionados to commuters looking to dodge traffic, informed throughout the multi-country event.

For the latest breaking news, weather, and traffic, ABC13 is now live on Disney+. Always on, always under the live tab on Disney+ and everywhere you stream.

KTRK logo
Jun 11, 2026, 7:35 PM

What FIFA World Cup matches will take place in Houston?

H-Town will host seven of the World Cup games. Five of them will take place during the group stage, one of them during the round of 32, and the last during the round of 16. See below for the matches.

  • June 14 - Germany vs. Curacao
  • June 17 - Portugal vs. Congo DR
  • June 20 - Netherlands vs. Sweden
  • June 23 - Portugal vs. Uzbekistan
  • June 26 - Cape Verde vs. Saudi Arabia

  • June 29 - TBD (round of 32)
  • July 4 - TBD (round of 16)

All the matches will be held at Houston Stadium.

Visit FIFA's website for more information.

KTRK logo
Jun 11, 2026, 9:56 PM

FIFA Fan Festival Houston: What you need to know

FIFA described its fan experience as the ultimate destination for World Cup fans in Houston, and ABC13 got a first look at some of the featured experiences before it opened to the public.

The festival is located just east of downtown Houston, next to Shell Energy Stadium. It will be open every day of the World Cup and is a first-come, first-served venue where fans can watch all the matches for free.

FIFA said there are several experiences fans can partake in at the festival, and since it's taking place in the Houston heat, organizers say there will be misting zones, water stations, and shaded areas.

SEE ALSO: Questions about security ahead of FIFA World Cup in Houston

ByJAMES ROBSON AP logo
1:03 PM GMT

Cape Verde stuns Spain with a surprising 0-0 draw in the country's World Cup debut

Tiny Cape Verde pulled off a stunning result in its World Cup debut, shutting out heavily favored Spain.

An impressive performance by 40-year-old goalkeeper Vozinha helped Cape Verde play one of the favorites to win the tournament to a surprising 0-0 draw. The final score is the biggest shock of the tournament so far, with Spain a -1200 favorite to win the match by some bookmakers.

"The team tried," said Spain midfielder Rodri. "It's about fine-tuning those chances we created because against a team that sits back so much you're not going to have many, and you know you have to take them. It's that simple."

Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha (1) waves a flag for fans after a 0-0 draw during the World Cup Group H soccer match between Spain and Cape Verde in Atlanta, Monday, June 15, 2026.
Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha (1) waves a flag for fans after a 0-0 draw during the World Cup Group H soccer match between Spain and Cape Verde in Atlanta, Monday, June 15, 2026.

Cape Verde actually had a chance to win the game, but Diney Borges' late header was saved by Spain keeper Unai Simon.

European champion Spain's roster is filled with superstar players. But they were frustrated by the underdogs from Cape Verde, with Vozinha pulling off a string of saves before halftime.

Barcelona forward Ferran Torres came closest to scoring for Spain, hitting the bar with shot and later forcing a save from Vozinha on another well-struck ball.

The keeper also denied Pedri and pushed away another potential score late in the half.

Cape Verde - a group of islands with around half a million inhabitants - is playing at its first World Cup.

The 2010 champion Spain is aiming to win the World Cup for a second time, but coach Luis de la Fuente warned on Sunday that Cape Verde could be one of the surprise teams of the tournament.

Cape Verde continued to defend stubbornly in the second half and not even teenage star Lamine Yamal could turn the game Spain's way after he entered the match.

KTRK logo
57 minutes ago

FIFA Fan Festival opens some hours Tuesday due to continued inclement weather, organizers say

After its closure on Monday due to stormy weather, FIFA Fan Festival organizers say the event will reopen for some time on Tuesday.

They said the festival will be open from 6:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Tuesday, instead of 12:30 p.m. to 10 p.m.

"The shortened hours of operation remain subject to change if the weather conditions are unfavorable to a safe environment for attendees," organizers added.

Officials said they would continue to monitor weather conditions and update the public on festival hours.

ByMAYA KOLUDER-RAMIREZ AP logo
Jun 15, 2026, 5:55 PM GMT

Sweden's Yasin Ayari shows respect for father's native country after World Cup goal vs. Tunisia

After he opened the scoring in Sweden's 5-1 victory over Tunisia in the World Cup on Sunday night, Yasin Ayari chose not to celebrate. Instead, he raised his hands in apology.

The gesture was a way of paying respect to his heritage.

The 22-year-old Ayari was born in Solna, Sweden, to a Tunisian father, Azzouz Ayari.

Ayari, who represented Sweden at the youth level, was given the chance to switch allegiances and play for Tunisia ahead of the 2022 World Cup, but he declined.

When asked about his son's choice to represent Sweden, Azzouz Ayari told Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet earlier this year that he agreed with the decision.

"No, I wanted him to play for Sweden," Azzouz Ayari said. "He must feel like he's giving back to the country that took care of him."

On Saturday, Tunisia coach Sabri Lamouchi also offered support to Ayari.

"I know him and his brother," Lamouchi said. "He made a choice, I have a lot of respect, and he's a very good player. We wish him after the game best of luck, but that is after the game."

In the final seconds, Ayari scored a second goal with a long-range shot to the left corner. He celebrated more enthusiastically, sliding on his knees while cupping his ear with his hand toward the Sweden fans behind the goal.

The fans certainly believe he made the right decision.

ByLEAH WILLINGHAM AP logo
Jun 15, 2026, 5:55 PM GMT

Spain at a Tennessee boarding school, Iraq in a rural West Virginia town: Where World Cup teams live

In the shadow of Tennessee's Signal and Lookout mountains, 8-year-old Beckham has been balancing on a fence for more than three hours, gripping a handwritten note and waiting for Spain's national team to emerge.

"I love you and I look up to you," the note reads, addressed to Pedri and Lamine Yamal. "Thanks for coming to my city. I hope you win the World Cup."

As the players run onto the field, his eyes grow wide.

"Dad," he whispers, "they're real."

The scene was equally incredible to his father, Jaxon McClure, a Marine Corps veteran who grew up in Chattanooga playing soccer with trash cans for goalposts, now coaches hundreds of local children and named his first child after one of the sport's greatest stars.

This summer - 32 years since the United States first hosted the world's biggest sporting competition - Chattanooga is among several cities established as World Cup base camps, where visiting teams live and train between matches.

Spain - among the favorites to win the tournament - has set up camp at a boarding school on the Tennessee River in Chattanooga; Iraq is in a mountain resort town in West Virginia with fewer than 3,000 residents; and Germany is in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, where cobblestone streets and tobacco warehouses share space with German flags and television crews.