NRG Stadium, Houston’s showpiece of rodeo, NFL drama and 2026 World Cup duty | OneFootball

NRG Stadium in Houston will stage five matches at the 2026 World Cup, yet it is known for the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.

According to L'Équipe, the three-week event mobilises nearly 40,000 volunteers and generates an economic impact akin to a major political convention or a Super Bowl. The venue also staged the 2017 Super Bowl, where the New England Patriots overturned a 25-point deficit to beat the Atlanta Falcons 34-28.

In March, more than 2.6 million visitors were recorded, close to the previous year’s 2.74 million despite inflation. Founded in 1931 to root rodeo in Houston’s culture, it now pairs concerts with charity, awarding scholarships and grants worth several million euros annually.

Opened in 2002, the stadium’s retractable roof was a first in NFL history and capacity is 75,000 for football. It anchors NRG Park, named after a 2000 agreement with NRG Energy worth 300 million dollars.

Beside it stands the Astrodome, opened in 1965 and the first covered stadium. A 1989 expansion beyond 60,000 still failed to satisfy the Oilers’ owner, who moved the NFL franchise to Tennessee in 1996 after a new-stadium request was rejected. In 1999 the Astros relocated downtown and work on NRG Stadium began.

The roof has not been spared by storms. Two years ago Hurricane Beryl tore away several panels, while the storm caused many deaths and cut power to millions in Texas. Hurricane Ike damaged the venue in 2008, and in 2005 the Astrodome sheltered 13,000 homeless people after Hurricane Katrina.

Source: L'Équipe