🇺🇸

Houston

USA

72,220

Stadium Capacity

IAH

Main Airport

92°F

June Avg High

Match Types Hosted

NRG Stadium

Capacity

72,220

Surface

Grass

Opened

2002

Also Home To

NHouston Texans

Address: NRG Pkwy, Houston, TX 77054

Match Types Hosted

Group StageRound of 32Round of 16

Getting There

Main Airport

IAH

George Bush Intercontinental Airport

25 miles (35-50 min) to stadium

Public Transit

Light RailRideshare

Transit Tips

METRORail runs to NRG Park. Houston is car-centric but rail works well on game days.

Weather & What to Pack

92°F

June High

74°F

June Low

94°F

July High

76°F

July Low

Very hot and humid. Stadium has retractable roof with AC. Stay hydrated outside.

Where to Stay

Downtown

$$$

Business district with museums

Montrose

Eclectic, LGBTQ+ friendly with great bars

The Heights

Trendy area with local restaurants

Medical Center

Closest to stadium, affordable

Local Soccer Culture

MLS Team

Houston Dynamo FC

NWSL Team

Houston Dash

Supporter Groups

Texian ArmyEl Batallon

Insider Tips

1
Houston is SPREAD OUT. Like, insanely sprawling. Nothing is walkable. Accept this.
2
The stadium has a retractable roof - it will be closed with AC in summer. You'll be comfortable inside.
3
Tex-Mex and BBQ are religions here. Fight me.
4
Traffic on I-45 and I-10 is brutal. METRORail to stadium is the move.
5
Houston is the most diverse city in America - the food scene reflects this. Go exploring.
6
NASA Space Center is worth the trek. 30 min from downtown. Real rockets.

Bars & Restaurants

Richmond Arms

Pub • Upper Kirby

Houston's original soccer bar since 1996. Everton supporters bar.

Insider Tip: Opens at 6am for early matches. The shepherd's pie is legit British.

Ron's Pub

Sports Bar • Midtown

Multi-sport but great for soccer, local favorite

Insider Tip: Cash only. The cheapest beers in Midtown. No frills, pure pub.

Lucky's Pub

Sports Bar • Downtown

Huge outdoor space, watch parties for major events

Insider Tip: Gets packed for Dynamo games. The crawfish boils are worth the mess.

Pappas Bros. Steakhouse

Restaurant • Galleria

$$$$

Texas-sized steaks. This is cattle country.

Insider Tip: Make reservations. The bone-in ribeye is 28oz. Bring elastic pants.

Killen's BBQ

Restaurant • Pearland

Some of the best brisket in Texas (high bar)

Insider Tip: Get there before 11am or face 2-hour lines. Worth it.

El Tiempo Cantina

Cantina • Multiple

$$$

The Tex-Mex institution. Fajitas invented in Texas.

Insider Tip: The sizzling fajita platter is theater. Margaritas are strong.

Pho Binh

Restaurant • Midtown

24-hour Vietnamese spot. The only move at 3am.

Insider Tip: Located in a former Wendy's. The pho has been healing hangovers since 1983.

Pre-Game Spots

Kirby District

5 miles

Bars and restaurants walking distance to METRORail. Take the train to the game.

NRG Park tailgate lots

At stadium

Texas-sized tailgating. Brisket, beer, and BBQ smoke everywhere.

Midtown Houston

6 miles

Young crowd, bars on every corner, easy Uber to stadium.

Must-Try Local Food

Texas BBQ Brisket

14-hour smoked beef brisket. Salt, pepper, post oak smoke. Texas holy grail.

Where to get it: Killen's BBQ, Truth BBQ, Gatlin's BBQ

Tex-Mex Fajitas

Sizzling skirt steak with peppers and onions. Invented in Texas.

Where to get it: El Tiempo Cantina, Ninfa's on Navigation (original fajita inventor), Hugo's

Viet-Cajun Crawfish

Houston fusion - crawfish with Vietnamese spices and butter garlic.

Where to get it: Crawfish & Noodles, LA Crawfish, Boil House

Kolaches

Czech pastry filled with sausage or fruit. Texas breakfast staple.

Where to get it: Kolache Factory, Shipley Do-Nuts (yes donuts sell kolaches in TX)

Fan FAQs

Is Houston really that hot?

Yes. 90-100°F and extremely humid in June/July. But NRG Stadium has AC and the roof will close. Outdoors is brutal.

Can I get around without a car?

Barely. Houston is car-centric. METRORail goes to the stadium from downtown. Uber/Lyft work. But having a car makes exploring easier.

What's the local soccer culture like?

Dynamo have loyal fans. El Batallon supporter group brings drums and smoke. Large Mexican and Central American communities = passionate soccer fans.

Is Houston safe?

Downtown, Midtown, Montrose, Heights are safe. Normal big-city awareness. Stadium area is fine on game days.

Budget Tips

Stay in Midtown or Montrose - cheaper than downtown, walkable neighborhoods
METRORail day pass is cheap - use it for stadium access
Pho and tacos are everywhere and cheap. Skip fancy restaurants.
Free stuff: Buffalo Bayou Park, Discovery Green, Hermann Park
Houston has no zoning laws - you'll find great food in strip malls. Don't judge by looks.

Hidden Gems

Buffalo Bayou Park - 160-acre urban park along the bayou. Rent kayaks or bikes.
Menil Collection - world-class art museum that's completely FREE
Last Concert Cafe - outdoor patio with live music. Feels like Austin in Houston.
The Orange Show - folk art monument. Weird and wonderful.

Local Lingo

“Fixin' to”

About to. "I'm fixin' to head to the game."

“Feeder road”

Frontage road / service road along highways. Texas thing.

“All hat, no cattle”

Someone who's all talk, no substance

“Bless your heart”

Can be genuine OR shade. Context matters.

Local Voices

Insider tips from the fans who know Houston best

El Batallon HTX

@elbatallonhtx

Instagram15K followers

Houston Dynamo Supporter Group

“Houston's Mexican and Central American communities are massive - find us in Gulfton for El Salvador matches or Magnolia Park for Mexican games. Every country has their spot. We know where to send you.”

OG SupporterLatino/aMatch Day Vibes

Kealia Ohai Watt

@keaborat

Instagram520K followers

Former USWNT & Houston Dash Star

“NRG Stadium on match day is special - Texans fans know how to tailgate and that energy will carry to soccer. Get brisket from Truth BBQ before the match. Your stomach will thank you.”

ProfessionalWomen in SoccerFamily

Carlos from Pasadena

@carlos_htx_futbol

TikTok32K followers

Houston Soccer Food Blogger

“Houston has better food than every other host city. I said what I said. Hit Ninfa's on Navigation for the original fajitas, then Killens BBQ in Pearland. The international food scene is unmatched.”

Food & CultureYoung FanLatino/a

Brittany Chen

@britt_htx_sports

YouTube78K followers

Houston Sports Media

“The stadium is in NRG Park - same complex as the rodeo. Get there early because parking fills up and Uber surge pricing gets insane. METRORail is actually the move if you're staying downtown.”

ProfessionalWomen in Soccer