SPORTS

There is much to be said about sports in Houston, starting with the two World Series dominated by Houston-pride Astros in 2017 and 2022, to the purchase of the Rockets by Tilman Fertitta in 2017, and many things in between over the course of the last ten years.

One of the most significant has to do with the sport that is taking over America and Houston: Soccer. This sport, by far the most popular in the world, is also becoming the most popular in the country and our city, equally played by people of all ages, all races, and genders.

This boom in the US and particularly Houston over the last decade has led to next year’s Copa America 2024, the most important tournament that in- cludes most countries from North, Central, and South America, to be held in the US from June 14 through July 13, 2024, with some of the matches to be played at NRG. Argentina will be defending the current title.

In addition to this event, and certainly much more important, the 2026 FIFA World Cup -the 23rd quadrennial international tournament of the men’s soccer championship contested by the national teams from 48 countries (16 more than the 32 nations that played in Qatar 2022)- will be -for the first time- jointly hosted by 16 cities in three North American countries: Canada, Mexico, and the United States, thus named “The United 2026”.

Argentina is also the actual world champion after defeating France in 2022.

There will be a total of 80 matches in this tournament, out of which Canada and Mexico will host 10 each, leaving the remaining 60 matches to the United States, including every match from the quarterfinals onward.

The 16 host cities selected by FIFA, include 2 cities in Canada, 3 in Mexico, and 11 in the United States. Houston is one of them, as part of the Central Division. Only four venues (Houston, Dallas, Atlanta, and Vancouver) are indoor stadiums that use retractable roof systems and are equipped with climate control. This represents a significant advantage to prevent any unexpected weather conditions.

Houston’s NRG Stadium -home of The Texans-, will host at least five or six matches over a 35-day period, which could very well include semi-finals and even the World Final. During these weeks Houston will experience a flood of people and most industries will see a surge as they have never experienced before.

In addition to the gigantic influx of cash into our economy during the games, most industries will start capitalizing months and years in advance. This year and in 2024 we will start seeing a growing number of new developments and infrastructure, and existing businesses expanding their capacity, creating thousands of jobs across multiple industries.

Houston is going to experience a new phase in its already fast growth to accommodate the impact of 2026, and beyond. We are entering a new and exciting chapter in the history of our city.

Another sport that has gained extraordinary traction through the last decade is the equestrian discipline. For many years the Polo season in Houston has been recognized as being one of the most important in the USA. And a new era has been developing in this arena.

Houston has a magnificent Polo Club in the Uptown area, while right now there is a new big development taking place in the Brookshire area with the expectation to turn it into a world-class campus for this sport and other equestrian disciplines.

The Sendera Equestrian States is developing new state-of-the-art facilities with the most beautiful and professional Polo courts and equestrian stables.

Rafael Chávez Monzón, founder of Haras Dos Cavaleiros, brought Houston to an entirely new level in equestrian sports, through the European discipline known as “Working equitation”, performed by the extraordinary Lusitano horses -originally from Portugal. This very high-end sport is hosted at luxurious Haras Hacienda in Magnolia, also property of Mr. Chavez Monzon, where the best horses from around the nation and the world gather to compete through a series of practices and tournaments all year round. The Ultimate Haras Cup Grand Prix takes place October 13th through 15th.

Fédération Equestre Internationale enters the Houston equestrian sports scene

This year, a remarkable new addition was brought to Houston by Haras Dos Cavaleiros: Fédération Equestre Internationale’s (FEI.org) Jumper Horse Competition. The International Federation for Equestrian Sports is the international governing body of equestrian sports. The FEI headquarters are in Lausanne, Switzerland, and will be performing for the first time in our city an international Jumper Horse Competition, the weekend of May 5th (Cinco de Mayo) through the 7th.

The 8th Annual Houston Exotic Auto Festival now also in Lamborghini’s Horse Arena at HARAS

To make things even more exciting, Haras Dos Cavaleiros and Haras Hacienda invited LUXCIOR and its Houston Exotic Auto Festival -also launched in our city nearly a decade ago and sponsored by Lamborghini Houston- to join in a single major equestrian and exotic automobile event that same weekend, where enthusiasts of both events will gather together for a fabulous weekend of luxury and fun.

May 5th - 7th, 2023

HARAS Hacienda

26427 Peden Rd, Magnolia, TX 77355