FIFA officials make Houston site visit ahead of 2026 World Cup

HOUSTON - The countdown is on for the 2026 World Cup, and host city Houston is knee-deep in the planning process despite the world's largest sporting event being three years away.

Nearly 35 FIFA officials were in the city Thursday for an official site visit at NRG Stadium.

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They were there for about eight hours in host meetings with local authorities. They also toured the training facilities around town.

It’s all to be fully prepared for when Houston hosts the World Cup in just three years.

"One of those dig into the weeds logistical meetings. So I think what we're most excited about is it's really an opportunity to really connect with people who are going to be focused on certain areas, and we can really start take the planning process to the next level," 2026 World Cup Host Committee President Chris Canetti said.

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Canetti says it should be determined by the end of the year how many games Houston will host.

"Somewhere in the neighborhood of five to eight," Canetti said. "And we'll know what rounds we're hosting. So that'll be big when we can say we're having X number of games, and we'll be, you know, this stage or that stage of the tournaments."

FIFA officials will be making more visits as the tournament gets closer.