Houston's FIFA Fan Festival full, entry paused ahead of Mexico vs. South Korea match: Live updates
ByABC13 Digital Team
Last updated: Thursday, June 18, 2026 11:57PM GMT
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.
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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.
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.
Houston's FIFA Fan Festival full, pauses entry ahead of Mexico vs. South Korea match, organizers say
Entry to the FIFA Fan Festival Houston was temporarily paused after the fan event hit capacity, organizers said.
The news comes hours before the highly anticipated match between Mexico and South Korea kicks off.
Organizers said that the incredible turnout forced them to temporarily pause entry, but that new viewers would be admitted as space becomes available.
FIFA urged viewers to watch the match at nearby dining and entertainment venues.
Jun 18, 2026, 9:08 PM GMT
Scotland fans drink Boston dry as local bars run out of beer
The parent company of Sam Adams said its Boston Taproom ran out of the brand's flagship Boston Lager over the weekend because Scotland soccer fans in Boston for the 2026 World Cup drank four times as much as the bar usually sells.
Boston Beer Co. said in a news release that from Thursday to Sunday, the Tartan Army -- Scotland's supporters organization -- drank four times what the company normally stocks during a typical four-day holiday stretch like the Fourth of July, adding that it had to schedule an emergency delivery of beer Saturday morning and are adding extra deliveries this week to make sure it has enough.
Scotland soccer fans take part in the Tartan Army March, making their way to Fenway Park ahead of a baseball game, Sunday, June 14, 2026, in Boston.
"We've never seen anything like it," Billy DeCain of the Sam Adams Boston Taproom told NBC Boston.
"The White Bull Tavern, there was no beer," Scottish fan Dave Orr told NBC. "The Scottish fans just drank the place dry and all they had was Bud Light."
"Pretty much everything. We ran out of everything," Paul Morris of The White Bull Tavern said. "Tennent's being number one.
"The fans have been unbelievable. They're great -- fun, drinking, partying -- having a great time."
Boston has been taken over by Scotland fans the past few days, as they've traveled over the Atlantic to witness their men's soccer team play in its first World Cup in 28 years.
In a news release, Boston Beer Co. said, "There are 20 beers on tap there, including many you can only get at the taproom, but they were basically only drinking Boston Lager. We're adding extra deliveries this week to make sure we have enough."
Noelle Somers, chief operating officer at Hennessy's Bar, told The Boston Globe that the sales "tripled St. Patrick's Day."
"We've been here for over 30 years, and we've never seen anything like it," she told the Boston Globe.
On Saturday night, the fans watched Scotland defeat Haiti 1-0 at Gillette Stadium.
And after navigating the packed trains and traffic jams, the party continued long into the morning across Boston's many bars. Then, just under 24 hours after Scotland's win on the pitch, the Boston Red Sox put on "Scotland Day" at Fenway Park.
The Tartan Army led a fan march from Evans Way Park to the ballpark. It was led by a cohort of folks playing bagpipes as they brought a touch of Scotland to New England.
A conservative estimate saw at least 5,000 fans take part -- but judging by eye in Fenway Park, thousands more made the trip to watch the Red Sox play the Texas Rangers.
Scotland next play against Morocco on Friday at Gillette Stadium.
Jun 18, 2026, 7:37 PM GMT
Netherlands' Orange Fanwalk coming to Houston this weekend
People going to the Netherlands vs Sweden game on June 20 could see some traffic impacts, but also can be part of the giant festivity headed to the Houston Stadium.
On Saturday, the iconic Orange Fanwalk will take over Houston ahead of the World Cup game between the two teams.
The beloved tradition brings thousands of fans together in a vibrant pre-game celebration. According to Rice University, the fanwalk will start at Rice Stadium at 8 a.m., and participants will march 2.5 miles through the streets of Houston to the stadium.
Jun 18, 2026, 9:05 PM GMT
Thursday's World Cup matches to have messaging denouncing hate speech
The eight teams playing World Cup matches on Thursday are taking part in an International Day for Countering Hate Speech commemoration, with a pre-match exchange of pennants denouncing such language.
Captains involved in the Czechia-South Africa, Mexico-South Korea, Switzerland-Bosnia-Herzegovina and Canada-Qatar matches will have pennants reading "We Play Together. We Stand Against Hate" with the wording in English on one side and the teams' native language on the other.
FIFA says it has deleted more than 30 million abusive posts and comments since its social media protection service was created before the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
FIFA says it deleted nearly 400,000 negative or abusive posts in the first few days of this World Cup - more than it did in the entirety of the 2022 event.
Other stadium activations involving that message are planned during Thursday's matches.
