NRG Stadium in Houston will be the center of the soccer world during the seven World Cup matches set for next June and July. Both the Houston Texans home stadium and the surrounding area will receive a slate of upgrades before its global close-up.
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The Harris County Sports and Convention Corp. (HCSCC) approved a $55 million Capital Improvement Project (CIP) last month, according to Houston Business Journal’s Chandler France. The CIP lays out improvements for various infrastructure elements of NRG Stadium, NRG Center and NRG Arena. An additional $2.5 million was approved to “design proposals on the highest-priority projects,” per France.
Few details of the CIP were provided, though France notes the first project will focus on “vertical transportation,” i.e elevators and escalators inside the trio of NRG Park buildings.
Chron’s attempt to contact the HCSCC were unsuccessful as of Wednesday afternoon.
NRG Park will receive a slate of upgrades before the 2026 World Cup next summer (Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images)
The $55 million in improvements is just a dent in the reported $1.9 billion in expected repairs for NRG Park across the next 30 years. Will NRG Park even house the Texans in that time? That remains an open question, with the Texans lease set to expire in 2032. Texans owners Cal and Hannah McNair have not made any nod to seeking a new stadium as of November 2025. A new practice facility? That’s a more likely project, with the Texans planning to erect a new facility either within Harris County or a Houston-area suburb.
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Houston will host its first 2026 World Cup match, the first of five group-stage matches at NRG Stadium, on June 14, 2026. Houston will then host a pair of knockout games, a Round of 32 match on June 29 and a Round of 16 match on July 4.
The official World Cup draw will be announced Dec. 5.
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This article originally published at NRG Park getting $55 million upgrade before 2026 World Cup.
