FIFA Fan Festival™ Houston announces Aramco Arena as its official pitch
Aramco Arena at FIFA Fan Festival™ Houston.
The FIFA World Cup 2026™ Houston Host Committee confirmed today that its Official Houston World Cup 2026™ Host City Supporter, Aramco, will supply and host the official ‘Aramco Arena’ soccer pitch —the internationally recognized term for a soccer field—at the FIFA Fan Festival™ Houston.
The Aramco Arena will be a centerpiece of the FIFA Fan Festival™ Houston, where fans, youth teams and community groups will come together to play, learn, practice and develop their skills. The pitch will be active throughout the tournament, June 11 to July 19, 2026, including daily Open Play accessible to all fans beginning June 17.
In addition to Open Play sessions with drills and exercises set up, the Aramco Arena will host the championship matches of the Road to Cup, presented by Reliant, a Houston-based 7v7 youth soccer tournament during the initial weeks of FIFA World Cup 2026™. The Aramco Arena will display 45-foot wide screen, which will act as a central and atmospheric viewing area for all FIFA World Cup 2026™ matches, as well as hosting an immersive soccer simulator where fans can test their accuracy and speed.
Aramco will also construct two of the five misting stations at the FIFA Fan Festival™ Houston, offering attendees a place to cool down between matches on the Aramco Arena pitch and at the soccer simulator queue. Each station features imagery from iconic FIFA World Cup ™ moments, giving fans the chance to relive highlights, including the last US-hosted edition in 1994.
To bring this project to life, Aramco worked closely with its chemical arm, SABIC, to develop a customized material solution with SABIC’s success partner TenCate, a global leader in synthetic turf, using recycled plastics for the main material components of the soccer pitch surface. The project leverages SABIC’s innovation, as it used circular polymers produced through advanced recycling. The synthetic turf, which requires no black crumb rubber infill, is engineered for performance and built for recovery and reuse.
Misting Station at FIFA Fan Festival™ Houston.
The Aramco Arena will complement a wide range of immersive attractions and fan experiences at the FIFA Fan Festival™ Houston. Houston Hall, for example, is an air-conditioned retreat, which will include local food vendors, as well as interactive experiences from Space Center Houston and The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.
“The Aramco Arena will be a place where culture, community and celebration come together every day of the festival to reflect the spirit of Houston and create moments that are truly unforgettable,” said FIFA World Cup 2026™ Houston Host Committee President Chris Canetti.
Ahmed S. AL-Mulhem, President of Aramco Americas, said: “The Aramco Arena brings to life our role as an Official Houston World Cup 2026™ Host City Supporter. This pitch is designed to enable, excite, and inspire the community we serve, and it marks another proud milestone in our efforts to advance community and sports initiatives in Houston. Through our chemicals arm, SABIC, we are incorporating recycled materials into the pitch surface to demonstrate the important role advanced materials can play in building more sustainable experiences.”
In 2024, Aramco became a Major Worldwide Partner of FIFA, supporting major tournaments including the FIFA World Cup 2026™. In December 2025, Aramco became an Official Houston World Cup 2026 Host City Supporter, strengthening its role in bringing the world’s biggest sporting event to Houston and supporting programs and initiatives designed to leave a lasting legacy for Houston.
“The Aramco Arena will be a place where culture, community and celebration come together every day of the festival to reflect the spirit of Houston and create moments that are truly unforgettable,” said FIFA World Cup 2026™ Houston Host Committee President Chris Canetti.
Ahmed S. AL-Mulhem, President of Aramco Americas, said: “The Aramco Arena brings to life our role as an Official Houston World Cup 2026™ Host City Supporter. This pitch is designed to enable, excite, and inspire the community we serve, and it marks another proud milestone in our efforts to advance community and sports initiatives in Houston. Through our chemicals arm, SABIC, we are incorporating recycled materials into the pitch surface to demonstrate the important role advanced materials can play in building more sustainable experiences.”
In 2024, Aramco became a Major Worldwide Partner of FIFA, supporting major tournaments including the FIFA World Cup 2026™. In December 2025, Aramco became an Official Houston World Cup 2026 Host City Supporter, strengthening its role in bringing the world’s biggest sporting event to Houston and supporting programs and initiatives designed to leave a lasting legacy for Houston.
