FIFA World Cup 2026™ Houston Host Committee Publishes Report on Tournament Sustainability, Human Rights and Legacy
Report Measures the Environmental and Human Rights Impact and Shares Houston’s Framework, Data and Toolkits with Future Host Cities
HOUSTON (Nov. 6, 2026) — The FIFA World Cup 2026™ Houston Host Committee and Sports Authority Foundation today released the Sustainability & Human Rights Report, a comprehensive, data-driven measurement of the tournament’s impact and the environmental, human rights, and youth soccer legacy it leaves for Houston and future host cities.
From the earliest stages, the Host Committee and Sports Authority Foundation, under which the Host Committee operates, set out to use the tournament as an opportunity to create generational change across the region, guided by a commitment to leave a positive, lasting legacy and a responsibility to safeguard the people and places that could be affected. In planning the event, the Houston Host Committee embedded sustainability and human rights considerations into its decisions, aiming to create a template for responsible event hosting and raise the bar for hosts of major sporting events.
The report covers responsible contracting and procurement policies; energy impact; greenhouse gas emissions; air quality; waste and circularity; the Human Rights Action Plan, which covers workers’ rights and grievance outcomes; accessibility; protections for unsheltered populations; and toolkits for responsible event hosting. It also covers Impact Houston 26’s Grow the Game pillar and its flagship initiative FREEKICKS Soccer, which removes barriers to access to organized soccer for youth in underserved communities.
“Even before Houston was chosen to host the world, we made responsible event hosting and meaningful impact a priority,” said Chris Canetti, President, FIFA World Cup 2026™ Houston Host Committee. “Every part of our plan was intentional, and through years of vision and collaboration, we built a legacy that will be felt across Houston for years to come. By measuring our impact, publishing our results, and sharing frameworks and resources, our results can serve as best practices that inspire future host cities.”
To build plans around the needs, priorities, and concerns of the people the tournament could affect, Host Committee leads representing the Human Rights Subcommittee, Sustainability Subcommittee, and Safety and Security team engaged a broad range of stakeholders years before the first match. More than 400 stakeholders from over 150 organizations guided sustainability planning and implementation, and more than 140 stakeholders and rightsholders from over 90 organizations contributed to the development of the Human Rights Action Plan. In total, more than 1,600 people took part in stakeholder engagement activities, including events, workshops, and outreach initiatives.
“Houston’s greatest strength is the way we come together to take on the biggest moments,” said Ryan Walsh, CEO, Sports Authority Foundation. “Every outcome we achieved, from growing the game to protecting the environment and the rights of our residents and workers, started as a conversation with our community. Those partnerships turned a summer of soccer into a generational economic, environmental, and social legacy that will extend well beyond 2026.”
Sustainserv prepared the report, managing data collection, calculations, and report development based on international sustainability reporting standards and best practices for sporting events. The report was developed with reference to internationally recognized frameworks, including the GRI Standards, ISO 20121, and the Greenhouse Gas Protocol’s Corporate Accounting Standard. The Houston Host Committee’s human rights and workers’ rights plans and policies were aligned with the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, and the International Labour Organization’s Core Conventions and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
The primary reporting boundary encompassed activities for which the Houston Host Committee and Sports Authority Foundation had direct responsibility or a substantive implementation role, particularly the FIFA Fan Festival™ Houston and community and legacy initiatives through Impact Houston 26. FIFA held operational control of Houston Stadium during its exclusive-use period, and stadium-specific results are generally not included in the report.
Key environmental outcomes in the report include:
Greenhouse gas emissions within the Houston Host Committee’s direct control were limited to 15 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO2e) of Scope 1 and 2 market-based emissions.
100% of FIFA Fan Festival™ Houston electricity was sourced as renewable electricity through Reliant’s 100% Wind Energy plan.
73% of surveyed FIFA Fan Festival™ Houston attendees used low-carbon transportation, and the EaDo/Stadium METRORail station recorded more than 96,000 boardings.
An estimated 7,000-8,500 new trees were planted through Houston Host Committee programs, partners, city-wide initiatives, and collaborating organizations.
66% of FIFA Fan Festival™ Houston waste was kept out of the landfill, about four times Houston’s household diversion rate. An operational hauling error lowered the final rate, and the report includes steps on improving diversion.
22% of all “waste" materials went back to the community through donation or preparation for reuse, including more than 154,000 square feet of turf donated to Aspire Futbol Club, animal rescues, and local parks; 4,354 kilograms of food donated to Second Servings Houston; and 3,919 kilograms of event materials donated to the YMCA of Greater Houston.
Impact Houston 26’s Sustainable School Badge Program provided $20,739 in microgrant funding awarded to Houston teachers. A total of 39 schools and 7,468 students participated in the Sustainable School Badge Program.
22 bayou clean-ups held in collaboration with local partners engaged 685 volunteers and removed 636 kilograms of waste.
Houston Stadium achieved a LEED Gold certification after Reliant Park undertook a major sustainability and energy-efficiency modernization project. The FIFA World Cup 2026™ Volunteer Center was inside POST Houston, which earned LEED Gold Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council in 2022.
“Our goal was to turn a once-in-a-generation event into lasting change for Houston through collaboration and a shared culture of sustainability,” said Elizabeth Carlson, Chair, Sustainability Committee for the FIFA World Cup 2026™ Houston Host Committee. “The results in this report reflect the dedication of volunteers and partners who demonstrated what is possible when Houston comes together, and what we built can be a model for future host cities everywhere.”
Key human rights, workers’ rights, and accessibility outcomes in the report include:
A tournament-wide $15 per hour wage floor, more than double the state and federal minimum wage. All FIFA Fan Festival™ Houston vendors were required to commit to this mandate.
276 FIFA Fan Festival™ Houston workers accessed the Worker Support Hub, a first-of-its-kind resource for a major global sporting event in Houston. The Hub included resources for grievance redress and access to trainings and support. A mobile care team also brought water, snacks, and supplies to workers on site.
84% of 569 surveyed workers reported high satisfaction with workplace conditions.
Of the 10 grievances received, four were within Host Committee responsibility. Three of those grievances were substantiated, and each was satisfactorily resolved.
100% of Tier 2 vendors (contracts of $500,000 or more) certified labor peace or collective bargaining agreements.
More than 20 accessibility integrations were designed into FIFA Fan Festival™ Houston.
FIFA Fan Festival™ Houston included diverse food offerings, performances, and displays for Houston’s diverse communities, as well as multifaith accommodations, including interfaith prayer rooms for men and women and foot-washing stations.
“Hosting the world means building an event that is safe and respectful of everyone’s rights,” said Minal Davis, Chief Legacy Officer, FIFA World Cup 2026™ Houston Host Committee. “In Houston, that meant fair pay and a Worker Support Hub where workers could raise concerns, accessibility improvements, multi-faith accommodations, protections for free speech, and greater access to the game for Harris County youth.”
The report also includes initiatives from Impact Houston 26’s Grow the Game pillar, including its flagship legacy program FREEKICKS Soccer. The initiative constructs and refurbishes 23 soccer pitches across six parks: Harris County at Blue Ridge Park, George Bush Park, Moody Park, Alabonson Park, Baytown Soccer Complex and Keith-Wiess Park. The local youth soccer clubs supporting this commitment include Albion Hurricanes F.C., Baytown Saints Youth Soccer Club, GFI Academy, HTX Soccer, and SG1. These clubs will collectively invest an estimated $1.5 million initially in the program and provide more than 1,200 scholarships to boys and girls in underserved communities annually.
Additionally, leading into FIFA World Cup 2026™ Houston, the Host Committee and local youth soccer clubs came together to stage Road to the Cup, presented by Reliant. The 7v7 youth tournament for U11–U18/19 boys and girls offered Houston and South Texas youth from geographically or economically disadvantaged communities the same opportunity to be part of the FIFA World Cup 2026™ festivities as competitors from more affluent districts. The 7v7 championship matches took place at a one-of-a-kind pitch within FIFA Fan Festival™ Houston.
In total, nearly 1.1 million people attended FIFA World Cup 2026™ Houston events, including 480,186 fans across Houston’s seven matches and 452,677 attendees at FIFA Fan Festival™ Houston. The tournament drew 1.47 million visits to Downtown Houston, and East Downtown saw a 225% increase in visitors during the tournament compared to the same period in 2025.
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About the Harris County–Houston Sports Authority and Sports Authority Foundation
The Harris County–Houston Sports Authority (HCHSA), founded in 1997, is responsible for servicing the debt of the world-class sports facilities it was created to build and ensuring their long-term sustainability. In support of this core mission, HCHSA leads the charge in attracting major sporting events to Houston and promoting our region as a home for all sports-related activities. This ultimately results in enhancing our economic development, improving the quality of life for our residents, and reinforcing Houston and Harris County as a premier destination for marquee sporting events. Its 501(c)(3) arm, the Sports Authority Foundation, manages the community engagement and legacy programs tied to major events, including FIFA World Cup 2026™ in Houston, through Impact Houston 26. Learn more at Harris County–Houston Sports Authority and Sports Authority Foundation.
Media Contacts:
Jared Shanker | jshanker@fwc26houston.com
