Houston is not waiting until 2026 to decide how it will participate in the World Cup.
Across the city, creators, players, organizers, and fans are already shaping their own version of soccer culture. It’s powered by Black people who see the global game as a way to build community on their own terms.
With the world’s biggest sporting event landing in the Bayou City, Black Houstonians are treating this moment as an opportunity to define what soccer looks and feels like for them.
Dereje Mekonen is the Manager of the Houston Ethiopian soccer team. The buildup to 2026 has energized communities that have always treated soccer as cultural currency. He said Houston’s East African population views the World Cup as an opportunity to showcase the city’s connection to soccer, which has always been a part of their culture.
“We grew up with soccer as a way to stay connected to home, even when we are far away,” he said. “You do not watch alone. You bring your family. You bring your music. You support your country.”
He came to the U.S from Ethiopia in the late 90s. He wanted to find his community soccer team through the Ethiopian Sports Federation of North America and participate in tournaments in Houston. Over the years, he advanced in rank, from being a player to organizing matches, supporting youth tournaments, and exploring ways to collaborate with other African teams across the city.
Mekonen said the World Cup is an opportunity for African teams to regain visibility in a mainstream fan culture that has not always included them.
“African communities have been keeping soccer alive in Houston for a long time,” he said. “Now people are noticing.”
Soccer’s surge and the World Cup wave
Across the United States, the sport is the fourth most popular, trailing behind football, basketball, and baseball, but it’s slowly chipping away at the long-standing rankings. Younger generations are driving that growth. They have grown up with international stars a tap away on their phones and are bringing a global sensibility to the sport’s fan culture. Houston has become a natural home for that energy.
At the youth level, the excitement around 2026 is pushing more parents to seek out structured, accessible soccer programs. However, pay-to-play barriers still make the sport more difficult for many low-income families to access. Coaches and advocates in Houston say the World Cup could shift that path.
Bayonle Arashi, founder of Midas Soccer Academy, said he sees talent across Houston’s Black neighborhoods, but the pathway to advanced competition remains uneven. “What we need is more opportunity,” Arashi said. “If the World Cup is coming to your city, you need to be thinking about the next generation. You need to be building fields, lowering costs, and making sure kids from every background can participate.”
National research supports his concerns. Soccer may be the world’s most accessible sport globally, but in the United States, the path to elite play often requires thousands in fees, travel, and equipment. According to youth development experts, the root challenge is not talent. It is infrastructure.
Internationally, soccer’s low cost and simplicity made it easily adoptable and a source of national pride. In the US, however, baseball, basketball, and American football already had deep-rooted cultural and economic foundations by the time soccer became a globally organized sport.
Since the American Revolution, the U.S. has aimed to define itself through democratic and capitalistic ideals, which have influenced the decline of soccer’s popularity as America sought a national sport distinct from Great Britain.
At Midas Soccer Academy, he has launched low-cost training programs, weekend clinics for kids who cannot afford club fees, and partnerships with schools that lack structured sports funding. He also works directly with parents, helping them navigate equipment needs, scholarship opportunities, and development pathways, so that money does not determine who gets a chance.
“We charge up to $70 a month for kids to play soccer at Midas. And that is only about 6% or 10% of what an average soccer academy charges,” he said. “An average soccer academy in the Houston area charges a minimum $250 a month for a kid to play soccer.”
Building legacy programs
Houston officials and local organizations have launched initiatives to ensure the World Cup leaves a lasting impact. Programs such as Impact Houston 26 are expanding youth access, improving fields, commissioning public art, and creating community spaces that bring fans from all backgrounds together.
Entrepreneurs like Hector Avila, owner of Soccer Champs, a local youth sports program, told the Defender that the last time the U.S hosted the World Cup in 1994, it made an impact on him as he began his coaching career. Witnessing players who looked like him excel at the highest level inspired him to give back to the youth.
“People come in here every day who grew up with soccer in their blood,” Avila said. “African fans. Caribbean fans. Latino fans. They do not need the World Cup to love this sport. But the tournament is giving all of us a moment to celebrate.”
Avila believes that 2026 will be a major win for Black-owned and immigrant-owned businesses. Jerseys, scarves, flags, watch party merch, and youth gear are already in higher demand.
“It is going to be historic for the city,” he said. “This is going to expand the grassroots efforts happening in the city.”
A rising generation of Black women shaping the game
Among the loudest and most influential voices emerging in Houston’s soccer scene are Black women players and advocates. The Black Women’s Player Collective (BWPC), a national organization led by professional players, has been working in Houston to support girls, create programming, and reshape representation in the sport.
Chairwoman Imani Dorcey views the World Cup as an opportunity to elevate Black girls, who are often underrepresented in mainstream soccer imagery.
“This moment is bigger than games,” Dorcey said. “It is about belonging. It is about showing Black girls that they are not guests in this sport. They are the culture.”
Through clinics, mentorship programs, and partnerships with local schools, the BWPC is building pipelines that reach girls who may never have imagined a future in soccer. Dorcey said the excitement around 2026 has already sparked a surge of interest.
“Girls tell us they want to be the next Sophia Smith or Trinity Rodman,” she said. “Representation matters. But access matters even more. We are making sure they get both.”
Economists estimate that the 2026 World Cup could generate more than $30 billion in gross output nationally and create over 185,000 jobs. Houston is expected to see significant growth in hospitality, transportation, retail, and tourism, driven by millions of fans traveling to the host cities.
World Cup Facts
Global Reach: Soccer is the world’s most popular sport, watched by billions globally.
U.S. Hosting: The last World Cup hosted in the U.S. was 31 years ago (1994).
Historic Attendance: The 1994 final drew nearly 80,000 spectators; 2026 is expected to surpass this record.
Houston’s Role: The city will host matches and fan experiences, including Sugar Land as a FIFA welcome center.
