Brazil fans gather at fan walk ahead of Brazil v. Japan Round of 32 World Cup match today

ByABC13 Digital Team KTRK logo
Last updated: Monday, June 29, 2026 2:53PM 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 - Japan vs. Brazil (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

KTRK logo
Jun 27, 2026, 10:13 PM GMT

Fan Fest Houston reaches capacity, temporarily stops entry during final Group Stage matches: FIFA

As the final Group Stage matches for the World Cup continue, organizers said FIFA Fan Fest has temporarily paused entry due to capacity on Saturday afternoon.

Orangizers said that entry will resume once space becomes available. In the meantime, organizers encouraged people to visit other dining and entertainment locations in East Downtown in order to watch the matches.

This announcement comes as the final Group Stage matches are well underway, with Panama facing England and Croatia up against Ghana.

ByANDREW DESTIN AP logo
Jun 27, 2026, 2:31 PM GMT

Egypt advances past group stage at the World Cup after a 1-1 draw with Iran

For a few joyous moments, Iran was convinced it had advanced to the knockout round at the World Cup for the first time in the expanded 48-team pool at this year's tournament.

The potential late winning goal was called back due to an offside, though, and Egypt advanced past the group stage.

Iran, meanwhile, will have to wait one day to find out its fate after the two teams played to a 1-1 draw. Egypt will play Australia in the round of 32.

Iran coach Amir Ghalenoei lamented what was the third goal by his side waved off by video review in the tournament.

"Technology is justice," Ghalenoei said in Farsi, "But I'm upset about our bad luck."

At the conclusion of what was promoted as a "Pride Match" in Seattle, one which neither Iran nor Egypt wanted any part in, the Pharaohs finished in second place in Group G. Belgium, which played to a 1-1 draw against Egypt on June 15, beat New Zealand 5-1 in Vancouver, British Columbia to win the group outright.

Egypt coach Hossam Hassan was grateful his team didn't slide to third in the group, which would have been the case had Khalilzadeh's goal held up.

"We knew we had qualified already; we were sitting at the top of the group," Hossan said. "I thank God for everything. After this goal was ruled offside, I was very happy."

Iran, meanwhile, could still advance to the knockout round for the first time in the expanded 48-team pool at this year's tournament. But they no longer control their own destiny after Friday's game.

"We're here to make our history, too," said midfielder Rouzbeh Cheshmi. "(Saturday), if our dream comes true, thank God. If not, we are proud of our game and our players because of how we did the game. The last three games, we held up, so let's see what happens."

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Jun 27, 2026, 2:30 PM GMT

Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia go scoreless, ends in draw at Houston Stadium

Cape Verde completed an improbable run through the group stage with a third straight World Cup draw to become the smallest country to earn a spot in the knockout round following a 0-0 draw against Saudi Arabia on Friday night.

The small island nation off the western coast of Africa, which is making its debut on soccer's grandest stage, already held 2010 champion Spain to a 0-0 draw and then came from behind to get a 2-2 result against Uruguay.

Cape Verde's three points put the team in second place behind Spain, which beat Uruguay on Friday night and won the group.

Cape Verde will play reigning World Cup champion Argentina in Miami on July 3.

Drawing all three group matches does not guarantee advancement at major soccer tournaments. But several teams have done it in the past, including Wales in 1958, Ireland and the Netherlands in 1990, and Chile in 1998. New Zealand, however, also got three draws at the 2010 World Cup and was eliminated.

On the eve of the match, Cape Verde coach Bubista mused, "everyone is entitled to dream, and nothing is impossible."

The Blue Sharks proved him right, overcoming seemingly insurmountable odds as this country of just more than 500,000 reached the round of 32.

A woman, her face painted with the archipelago's flag, held a sign that read: "Small Islands, Big Dreams."

A dream that these underdogs have made reality as they continue their charmed run on the world stage.

They did it with another strong game from Vozinha, the 40-year-old goalkeeper whose tournament success has helped him amass more than 16 million Instagram followers.

He had a save in first-half stoppage time, grabbing a header from Mohamed Kanno to keep Saudi Arabia scoreless. Another save came in the 66th minute when he leaped to deflect a shot from Mohammed Abu Al-Shamat.

A third came in the 92nd minute when he stopped a shot by Abdullah Al-Hamdan.

KTRK logo
Jun 27, 2026, 1:03 AM GMT

Flying a drone near FIFA events? Be ready to face federal charges

Four Houston-area residents are accused of violating temporary flight restrictions by flying drones near Houston's FIFA Fan Festival, Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck said.

Federal officials said John Alexander Meza, 26, of La Porte, Jordan Lee Zale, 38, of Richmond, Huu An Nguyen Dinh, 30, of Pearland, and Patrick Phillip Heer, 34, of Katy, all have federal criminal complaints against them for flying drones into "sensitive national defense airspace without authorization."

The four separate drone incidents that occurred on June 11, 13, and 18 were investigated by federal authorities. Detectives said that each of the four people charged is accused of piloting the drones that entered the temporary flight restriction zones near the festival.

In a statement, federal officials said that the FAA has designated all FIFA World Cup stadiums and official events as strict "no drone zones" and that any unauthorized drone flights are strictly prohibited. They added that taking off, flying, or landing a drone could lead to federal and local charges being brought against the pilot.

The U.S. Attorney's Office said that the FAA implements temporary flight restrictions to limit air travel and secure the airspace near major sporting events for safety reasons.

Meza, Zale, and Nguyen are due in court on July 7, and Heer is due on July 8.

Officials said the FBI, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, Customs and Border Protection, Federal Air Marshal Service, Houston Police Department, Harris County Sheriff's Office, and Texas Department of Public Safety are conducting the joint investigations into the four people accused.