With just weeks to go before Houston hosts its first FIFA World Cup match, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo addressed growing public concerns Monday over Ebola cases connected to central Africa and what that could mean for the region during the international event.

East downtown is getting ready to welcome thousands of fans for FIFA World Cup 2026™. Lauren Kelly sat down with Carla Gomez, press officer and Elzabeth Carlson, sustainability chair for FIFA World Cup 2026™ Houston Host Committee to get the details on FIFA Fan Festival™ which will be free -- yes free - fun to soccer fans.

Our Rhythm Energy Athlete of the Week is Summer Creek junior Ty Fernandez who helped the Bulldogs get to the state championship game for the first time in school history.

Dynamo earn 2-1 win and advance to U.S. Open Quarterfinal in three weeks

With 50 days until Houston hosts the FIFA World Cup, the city is about to see some of its most visible changes yet, and residents will start noticing the transformation almost immediately.

A big community event is bringing together families, local leaders, and athletes for a world record attempt at Hermann Park. It's all happening as Houston gets ready for the World Cup. Watch the video player above to see how you can join the action.

Atascocita’s junior forward, Julian Sanchez, has helped the Eagles get to the 6A Division 1 State Championship game by scoring five goals in five games and becoming Atascocita’s all-time postseason goal scorer.

Atascocita’s junior forward, Julian Sanchez, has helped the Eagles get to the 6A Division 1 State Championship game by scoring five goals in five games and becoming Atascocita’s all-time postseason goal scorer.

The Cavaliers will play Summer Creek at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday at Georgetown High School.

The Hurricanes will face Atascocita on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. at Georgetown High School.

The Eagles will face Klein Cain on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. at Georgetown High School.

The Bulldogs will face College Park on Saturday, 6:30 p.m. at Georgetown High School.

Matthew Arana is an up-and-coming young soccer talent who first joined the Dynamo Academy at the age of 11. Now 15, the Rosharon native has steadily progressed through the ranks of the organization’s system.

A Super Bowl streaker’s brief moment in the spotlight is now serving as a warning shot to soccer fans eyeing the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

As the FIFA World Cup 2026 approaches Houston, so do the scammers.

It’s been just three days since the schedules were established for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and ticket prices are already through the roof.

The next phase of ticket sales for the 2026 FIFA World Cup is set to open Thursday.

Excitement is building in Houston’s Third Ward as major neighborhood improvements are set to begin ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Houston leaders provided a detailed update on the city’s sustainability efforts tied to the 2026 World Cup during a two-hour presentation at City Hall.

From July 29 through August 1, Rice University will transform into the home base for 38 inclusive soccer teams from 23 different countries. These “Genuine Teams” are made up of athletes with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), including autism.

The two major soccer clubs in the Houston area have announced contributions to provide support to those impacted by the Hill Country floods.

Airbnb and FIFA have joined forces in a multi-year partnership ahead of FIFA World Cup 2026, which will be hosted in Houston and other cities.

"Our partnership with the World Cup Houston Host Committee marks an important moment for NRG and the city of Houston," said Gin Kinney, NRG Chief Administrative Officer in a statement.

Houston, Harris County leaders are set to discuss safety plans, and stadium upgrades ahead of FIFA World Cup 2026.

'Art of Soccer' started in 2019 when Space City was being considered as a host city. Now, with some games secured, it's back! Daniel Gotera, senior director of communications for the Harris County-Houston Sports Authority shares how Houston businesses and artists are teaming up to leave a lasting impact before it's soccer's time to shine in 2026.

Celebrate Latin and Hispanic culture this Saturday with food, giveaways, and more.

Harris County-Houston Sports Authority is holding a press conference to discuss the latest developments in the FIFA World Cup 2026 matches that will be held in Houston.

Young athletes are at-risk for overuse injuries, especially if they're playing year-round. KPRC 2 Health Reporter Haley Hernandez explains why it's important for them to take a break this summer and change up their sports routine.

It was a great weekend for Seven Lakes High School over the weekend as both their boys and girls’ soccer teams clinched a spot at state.

Join them for a night of football (the original kind) and pre-match festivities on Orange Ave. including cars, food, drinks, games and more.

While the women will send its best team, the men will send an under-23 team with three over-age exceptions.

Can the USWNT rebound from a disappointing performance at 2023 Women's World Cup?

Dynamo open MLS play Saturday at Shell Energy Stadium

Tessa took to the field to get to know Houston Dynamo FC General Manager, Pat Onstad and how he and his daughter Abby came to call H-Town home through his soccer success. She shares why she decided to follow in his athletic footsteps on the pitch!

Sunday’s announcement will offer further clarification on dates and magnitude of matches the cities will host.

How well do you remember what happened in the sports world in 2023?

Get the low-down on the fierce competition between the Houston Dynamo and Sporting Kansas on and off the pitch, which includes a smokin’ BBQ.

Jane Campbell of the Houston Dash has been named the National Women’s Soccer League Goalkeeper of the Year.

Houston Dash announced on Wednesday that the team has parted ways with head coach Sam Laity.

This weekend, the first annual Copa AT&T Pro x Un Día youth soccer tournament will be held in the city of Houston.

Join the Dash for a special night as they take on the Kansas City Current on Saturday evening at Shell Energy Stadium.

That is the gamut of emotions Spain soccer player Olga Carmona had to go through on Sunday.

One of those causes of concern is something that the U.S. has control of rectifying. The other it has no control of at all, and simply needs to monitor and stay ahead of.

She came, she saw and she conquered. After over 200 appearances with the Women’s National Team, it’s time for Megan Rapinoe to hang up her boots.

The United States Women’s National Team is ready to bring home another World Cup trophy.

The United States Women’s National Team may be the favorites to win the World Cup, which starts in just a few days, but the competition has never been fiercer.

The Women’s World Cup is right around the corner, and the United States Women’s National Team is ready to bring home their fifth title, and third trophy in a row.

A Tennessee soccer coach is accused of drugging and raping at least 10 boys after photos and videos of the children were discovered on his cell phone, police said.

Find out how this new soccer venue is using technology to help track and share your game play!

We officially know the 23 players who will represent the United States in this summer’s FIFA World Cup.

Lily Solek and her teammates paid tribute to her older sister in the best way possible.

The United States Women’s National Team (USWNT) is looking to win the FIFA Women’s World Cup for the third time in a row, and head coach Vlatko Andonovski has some tough choices to make when it comes to roster selection.

The United States can select Folarin Balogun after the England Under-21 forward who has starred in the French league opted to represent the 2026 World Cup co-host.

Two of the most successful European soccer teams will play one another at Houston’s NRG Stadium this July.

Houston is set to host two matchups for the 2023 Confederation of North and Central America and Caribbean Association Football Gold Cup this summer.

We’ve reached the final week of the soccer season and two wins are all that separate Ridge Point from a 6A state championship.

Finally, professional women’s soccer is back this weekend.

To help nurture the brightest talents in youth soccer and to encourage youth and adults to get on the field, the Urban Soccer Park allows for more development, playtime and helps build community engagement.

At a few bars scattered across the city, watch parties for the USA vs England match in World Cup soccer took place.

There are many reasons to criticize FIFA for the way they’ve handled the Men’s World Cup that is about to begin in Qatar, and at the top of that list is that they chose to have it in a nation with egregious human rights violations.

Some are older and familiar names who might be in their last World Cup, while others will be names to get used to for future World Cups.

While the key contributors aren’t limited to these five, going into the USMNT’s first game against Wales on Monday, here are the players most likely to carry the American side.

He's a former Houston Dynamo FC superstar and Former US Men’s National team player

For the first time since 2014, the U.S. Men’s National Team is back in the World Cup, and will have its first game on Monday against Wales.

Qatar is a tiny nation that is smaller than Connecticut in square miles, so Qatar would be No. 49 on the list of largest states if it was a part of the U.S.

For the first time, the World Cup will be held in November and December instead of its customary time slot of June and July.

It seems that after every Women’s World Cup that the United States Women’s National Team wins (USWNT for short), there will be a boom in the sport.

FIFA, the world’s governing body of soccer and organizer of the World Cup, will announce the host cities for the 2026 World Cup during a 5 p.m. ET event in New York City.

This is a big week for the city of Houston as we all wait for FIFA’s decision regarding United States host cities for the 2026 World Cup.

Nearly five years after the United States men’s national soccer team famously blew a spot in the 2018 World Cup by losing to a vastly inferior Trinidad and Tobago squad in October of 2017 in the final game of qualifying, the moment of redemption has finally arrived for the Americans.

A soccer player has broken the Michigan high school and national records for most goals in one game, but not everyone is cheering.

The last time the United States Men’s Soccer Team took the field for a World Cup qualifier, it produced one of the most humiliating moments in the program’s history.

Carli Lloyd has had one of the most storied careers in soccer history.

Despite having sideline seats, one young soccer fan clearly wasn’t close enough to the action.

If you’re not in front of a television and don’t want to miss a minute of Olympic action, coverage can be streamed right from your computer or phone.

If you’re not in front of a television and don’t want to miss a minute of Olympic action, coverage can be streamed right from your computer or phone.

The U.S. women’s soccer team is undoubtedly one of the best soccer teams on the planet, but long before there was Megan Rapinoe, Alex Morgan and Carli Lloyd -- there was Mia Hamm.

Fans around the world had a great time watching the Euro 2021 final match between England and Italy, but no one went through a bigger range of emotions than Prince George.

Kelyn Rowe and Raúl Ruidíaz scored and the Seattle Sounders ran their season-opening undefeated streak to an MLS-record 13 games, beating the Houston Dynamo 2-0 on Wednesday night.

With the Olympics right around the corner, the final rosters and teams are shaping up, and that includes the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team.

“Potential” was a big theme as Ted Segal was introduced as the new owner of Houston Dynamo FC, Houston Dash and BBVA Stadium.

Texas’ own Matthew McConaughey dons green and black attire while getting Austin FC fans fired up for their first home game of the season.

The U.S. Women's National Team wrapped up its Summer Series of friendlies Wednesday. Now head coach Vlatko Andonovski must name his final Olympic roster.

One of Houston’s popular artists is bringing the spirit of the World Cup to the city in a new mural.

Cole Bassett capped a four-goal flurry late in the first half and the Colorado Rapids beat the Houston Dynamo 3-1 on Saturday night for their third straight victory.

Memo Rodríguez scored the opening goal of the Major League Soccer season and Maximiliano Urruti added a goal in the second half as the Houston Dynamo beat the San Jose Earthquakes 2-1.

The Houston Dash released a statement Monday after a Red Stars player claimed she and her boyfriend, who are Black, were racially profiled during the opening match of the Challenge Cup tournament on Saturday.

HOUSTON – Apple TV’s “Ted Lasso” stars Jason Sudeikis as the title character, a small-time college football coach hired to coach a professional soccer team in England, even though he has no experience coaching soccer. Actress Hannah Waddingham plays Rebecca Welton, the new owner of the team, and Juno Temple is Keeley Jones, a model who works for the team and also dates a few of the players. The streaming show recently earned three Critics’ Choice Awards, and a Golden Globe for Jason. I caught up with Hannah and Juno for the scoop on season 2, and if Ted Lasso’s famous mustache will also be returning.

Houston may be one of 16 host cities for the 2026 FIFA World Cup if the city’s bid gets accepted. On Wednesday, the 2026 Houston World Cup Bid Committee met with FIFA and USA Football officials virtually, mainly to discuss stadium details, according to committee president Chris Canetti. THE COMPETITIONHouston has great odds to land the 2026 bid due to the amount of cities needed in the United States. 10 of the 16 host cities will be in the U.S., and with Houston checking in as the fourth-biggest city, along with a soccer history, the odds should be strong. FIFA is likely to decide on the final 10 American host cities late in 2021, with a possibility for the decision to bleed over into 2022, according to Canetti.

Holocaust Museum Houston hosts free admission day“When the Holocaust ended there was a outcry for the world to realize that this should never happen again,” said Kelly Zuniga, CEO of Holocaust Museum Houston. “And that was the beginning of the human rights movement.” That movement continues today and on December 10th International Human Rights day will be observed around the world. The Holocaust Museum Houston is hosting a free admission day to help focus on the past, the present and what more needs to be done. John Walker, President, Business Operations, Houston Dynamo/Dash FC· Website: https://www.houstondynamofc.com/· Twitter: @HoustonDynamoWhy is Congress taking so long to reach stimulus agreement? Congressional members have said the best way for constituents to make a difference is to contact them.

BUENOS AIRES – Three funeral workers have been fired for posing for photos alongside the body of soccer star Diego Maradona shortly before his funeral. The images distributed across social media created outrage, even death threats, across a nation that venerated Maradona, who died Wednesday of a heart attack at age 60. Claudio Fernández confirmed to Radio Diez that he'd lost his job at the Pinier funeral home, along with his son Ismael and Claudio Medina. One of the images shows Fernández and his son — smiling and with thumb raised — alongside Maradona's body in the coffin on Thursday. I'm from the neighborhood," Fernández said.

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina – Diego Maradona, the Argentine soccer great who scored the “Hand of God” goal in 1986 and led his country to that year’s World Cup title before later struggling with cocaine use and obesity, has died. “Maradona inspires us,” said then-Argentina striker Carlos Tevez, explaining his country’s everyman fascination with Maradona at the 2006 World Cup in Germany. Maradona said he was given a soccer ball soon after he could run. A year after losing the 1990 World Cup final to West Germany, Maradona moved to Spanish club Sevilla, but his career was on the decline. He failed another doping test for stimulants and was thrown out of the 1994 World Cup in the United States.

HOUSTON – The Houston Dynamo announced a “new club direction” on Tuesday. The team made the announcement via its website that the new name of the club is “Houston Dynamo FC.” “FC” stands for football club, and is used by several American soccer teams. The women’s team will still be known as the Houston Dash. We are Houston Dynamo FC. #HoldItDown pic.twitter.com/CDxDteBXTf — Houston Dynamo FC (@HoustonDynamo) November 17, 2020The rebranding includes new crests for both teams, which were created with help from a Houston-based, minority-owned company 9th Wonder.

(AP) – Diego Rubio scored in extra time and the Colorado Rapids beat the Houston Dynamo 2-1 on Sunday night. Colorado (8-6-4), which clinched a playoff berth with a 1-0 win over Portland on Wednesday, enters post-season play for the first time since 2016. Houston (4-9-9) ended the season without a win its last seven contests. Rubio took a pass from Cole Bassett, started his run down the left, planted and fired across his right for the game winner. Younes Namli put the Rapids up 1-0 at the 61st minute before Mauro Manotas evened the score for Houston eight minutes later.

FRISCO, Texas – Fabrice-Jean Picault scored twice in FC Dallas' 3-0 victory over the Houston Dynamo on Saturday. Franco Jara tapped in a sliding goal off a headed centering pass from Michael Barrios in the 19th minute to give Dallas (8-5-7) the lead. In the 27th minute, Fabrice-Jean Picault headed in a book pass from Andrés Ricaurte. Piicault added one more in the 93rd for the final margin. Houston (4-9-9), which beat Dallas 2-0 on Oct. 7, is winless in six matches.

(AP) – Niko Hansen’s goal in the 83rd minute helped rally the Houston Dynamo to a 2-2 tie with Minnesota United on Sunday night. The Dynamo's (4-7-8) Memo Rodríguez scored in the 59th minute, cutting the their deficit to 2-1. Minnesota United (6-5-6) failed to capitalize on a fast start that included two goals in a 19-minute span in the first half by Ethan Finley. Finley scored at 11 minutes on a well-timed run off a throw-in from midfield. At 30 minutes, Finley started a run and took a feed from Jacori Hayes past a defender, beating the keeper.

HOUSTON – Hany Mukhtar scored two of Nashville’s three first-half goals in a 3-1 victory over the Houston Dynamo on Wednesday night. Mukhtar opened the scoring in the 15th minute, and Abu Danladi scored on a header four minutes later. Mukhtar added another one in the 23rd, beating Dynamo goalkeeper Marko Maric on a free kick. Darwin Quintero, who leads Houston with six goals, scored in the 75th minute. Joe Willis made five saves for Nashville, which has allowed just nine goals in its last 11 games.

(AP) – Lewis Morgan scored on a penalty kick in the 57th minute, leading Inter Miami a 1-0 win over the Houston Dynamo on Saturday night. The shot was set up when Houston's Aljaz Struna committed a foul in the penalty area. Miami (5-10-2) won its second straight and moved within a point of Nashville for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Houston (4-6-7) and Colorado have 19 points and are tied for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference. ___More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/Soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

(AP) – Kristie Mewis had a goal and three assists and the Houston Dash beat the North Carolina Courage 4-1 in the National Women’s Soccer League fall series Sunday night. After Lynn Williams scored for the Courage to avoid the shutout, Shae Groom scored the final Dash goal in the 83rd minute. The Dash (2-1-0), who hadn’t ever defeated the Courage, close the fall series next week against the Orlando Pride in Kissimmee, Florida. The Courage (1-1-1), the two-time defending NWSL champions, wrap up the series on Oct. 17 against the Pride in Orlando. ___More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/Soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports