ART OF SOCCER CAMPAIGN RELAUNCHES
HOUSTON – Want to help bring the 2026 FIFA World CupTM to Houston?
The Houston 2026 World Cup Bid Committee has the perfect opportunity for you.
With the bid process heading down the home stretch, Houston wants to set itself apart with a city-wide Art of Soccer campaign.
The campaign was launched prior to the pandemic, then took a break. It’s restarting now with a plan to dot the city with custom-designed, oversized soccer balls and show how the GreaterHouston area is firmly behind the push to make Houston a 2026 FIFA World CupTM host city.
“People ask me all the time how they can help us and specifically what they can do to help the committee,’’ said Houston 2026 World Cup Bid Committee President Chris Canetti. “They want to get involved and show what a great soccer city Houston is.
“And one way to do so is through the Art of Soccer campaign. Houstonians can take their
enthusiasm, combine it with creativity, and really help set Houston apart as a host city.’’
FIFA will be visiting each of the 17 finalist cities, including Houston, in the coming months as the governing body prepares to choose the U.S. host cities.
The 36-inch fiberglass soccer balls are on sale now for $9,800 each and can be decorated in any color and design the owner chooses. Think about those over-sized colorful boots that popped up all over Houston during Rodeo Houston’s Boot Art Contest a few years ago.
Find an artist to help express your idea. Partner with a school art department. Reach out to the neighborhood. Get creative and colorful. Go with a Houston theme, a Texas feel, a soccer design or think international soccer. It’s up to you. It’s your canvas.
Owners will decide where to display their soccer balls, and there will be public events around the city this summer where clusters of the soccer balls will be displayed together.
The individual soccer balls will also be promoted on the Houston 2026 Bid Committee’s social media platforms. A portion of your donation to the Houston World Cup Bid Committee will impact the community with a portion of the funds going to the U.S. Soccer Foundation programs Safe Places to Play and Soccer for Success.
“As we begin to make headway with COVID vaccinations and slowing the pandemic and with the bid process heating up, this is the perfect time to relaunch the campaign,’’ Canetti said. “The Art of Soccer will showcase Houston’s enthusiasm to host the 2026 FIFA World CupTM. At the same time, the campaign will help us raise a portion of the funds we need to operate the bid committee and back our efforts to win it for Houston.”
To purchase a soccer ball or for more information, click HERE
About the Houston 2026 World Cup Bid Committee
The Houston 2026 World Cup Bid Committee is leading our region’s efforts to host the 2026 FIFA World CupTM. It is a subsidiary of the Harris County – Houston Sports Authority. The 2026 FIFA World CupTM will be played in 16 cities across the United States, Mexico, and Canada and Houston is among 17 cities vying to become U.S. host city. A final decision is expected in 2021.
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