Amid all the excitement, we wanted to answer questions our viewers have had as we get closer to the first whistle.

Chris Canetti is the president of the FIFA World Cup Houston host committee. He has more than 30 years of experience in sports, including about two decades working in Houston. He joined the World Cup committee after a stint as president of the Houston Dynamo and Dash.

From June 11 to July 19, 2026, the FIFA World Cup will feature 104 games across 16 cities in North America, with 11 cities in the United States.

"We should be able to estimate that over half a million people will come to Houston over the course of the 20-plus days for the games," Canetti said. "We expect a sell-out each game at NRG Stadium, plus plenty of fans throughout the city during those few weeks."

FIFA president Gianni Infantino attempts to explain the expected global impact of the 48-team 2026 World Cup hosted by the U.S., Mexico and Canada.

The last two World Cup hosts — Russia in 2018 and Qatar in 2022 — allowed visitors to enter their countries with a game ticket essentially doubling as their visa. Both governments also performed background checks on all visitors coming to the tournament.

With just one year to go until the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, preparations are well underway in Arlington. AT&T Stadium is set to host nine matches — the most of any venue in North America — and officials expect millions of fans to flock to North Texas during the month-long tournament.

FIFA World Cup is a year away. Here is what to know about the biggest soccer tournament in the world coming to North America.

Visas, travel bans, transport costs, security and relationships with the government - there is a lot to consider a year out