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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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.
All the matches will be held at Houston Stadium.
Visit FIFA's website for more information.
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
Video shows Japanese soccer fans cleaning up trash after Japan's Round of 32 match loss to Brazil at Houston Stadium on Monday afternoon.
In a video posted by NRG Park, social media influencer iShowSpeed assisted other fans with the cleanup after Monday's game.
Gabriel Martinelli scored the winning goal late in injury time to give five-time champion Brazil a 2-1 win over Japan in the round of 32 at the World Cup on Monday.
Martinelli, who had come on as a second-half substitute, scored in the sixth minute of stoppage time as the match appeared to be headed to extra time.
Brazil will next face either the Ivory Coast or Norway on Sunday in East Rutherford, New Jersey, in the round of 16.
Casemiro had earlier equalized on a header in the 56th minute off an assist from Gabriel Magalhães after just missing another chance two minutes earlier. The shot sailed just out of reach of the outstretched hand of Japan goalkeeper Zion Suzuki and into the net.
Kaishu Sano stole a misplaced pass at midfield and took it down the field before a right-footed shot from above the half circle put Japan ahead in the 29th minute.
Vinícius Júnior, who has scored four goals so far in this year's tournament, had a chance to put Brazil on top in the 58th minute but his shot from the left box was deflected by Suzuki and went off the far post.
Casemiro left in the first minute of second-half stoppage time with what appeared to be a leg injury.
Brazil had two chances to even the score early in the second half before breaking through. On the first one, Suzuki blocked a header from Bruno Guimarães in the 52nd minute. Soon after, Casemiro's header bounced off a defender's head and Suzuki's face. Suzuki finished with four saves.
Japan has never won a knockout match at the World Cup.
The win was Brazil's 12th in 15 games against Japan. The teams have also played to two draws while Japan got its first win in the series in a friendly in Tokyo in October.
This was a matchup between two countries with deep ties, with Brazil being home to about 2.7 million Japanese descendants, which is the largest Japanese population outside of Japan.
Those ties extend to soccer where Brazil superstar Zico moved to Japan in 1991 to play for Kashima Antlers and help build Japan's professional soccer network. He coached the Japan national team from 2002-06, leading the team to the World Cup in 2006.
That team lost to Brazil 4-1 in the only previous meeting between the teams at the World Cup.
Brazil won Group C after a draw with Morocco and victories over Haiti and Scotland. Monday's victory came on the anniversary of their first World Cup championship in Sweden in 1958, when a 17-year-old Pele scored two goals in the final against the host country.
Japan reached the round of 32 as runner-up in Group F after a draws with the Netherlands and Sweden and a win over Tunisia. The loss snaps a 10-game unbeaten streak dating back to a 2-0 loss to the United States in September.
Celebrations started early for Brazil ahead of the team's World Cup Round of 32 match against Japan on Monday.
SkyEye13 flew over the Texas Medical Center ahead of the team's scheduled fan walk, where Brazil fans were seen gathering in a parking lot.
The walk was set to begin at 9 a.m. at the Smith Lands south parking lot, located at 1500 Old Spanish Trail.
The Brazil vs. Japan match is set to begin at noon. The winner will advance to the Round of 16.
A planned World Cup fan walk will impact traffic south of the Texas Medical Center and east of Houston Stadium on Monday morning, the Houston Office of Emergency Management said.
A fan walk has been scheduled by Brazilian fans ahead of the team's World Cup Round of 32 match against Japan, which starts around noon, event organizers announced.
According to Movimento Verde Amarelo, the walk will begin around 9 a.m. at Smith Lands south parking lot, located at 1500 Old Spanish Trail.
Houston OEM said Fannin Street between Old Spanish Trail and Holly Hall Street, as well as Greenbriar Drive between Old Spanish Trail and Fannin Street, will be impacted.
While officials did not say the streets would close, they advised commuters to seek alternate routes as thousands of fans were expected to show up and show their support.
