Houston Hosts Two World Cup Fan Walks Before Portugal-Uzbekistan Match

Houston is preparing for two major fan walks on Tuesday morning ahead of the Portugal versus Uzbekistan match at Houston Stadium, scheduled for noon CT. The events follow a successful fan walk on Saturday that drew an estimated 30,000 marchers through Houston streets before the Netherlands faced Sweden in the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Portugal's Fan Walk will commence at 9 a.m. at Smith Lands South Parking Lot near the Texas Medical Center, where organizers expect a larger gathering of fans. Uzbekistan's Fan Walk will begin at Helix Park, also in the Medical Center area. The Houston World Cup host committee announced the Tuesday events on Sunday, capitalizing on momentum from the weekend's successful celebration.

To enhance the fan experience, organizers of the Uzbekistan Fan Walk plan to distribute traditional plov—a signature Uzbek rice dish—to attendees in the 90 minutes preceding the walk. This cultural offering aims to provide fans with an authentic taste of Uzbek hospitality. Despite expectations for substantial crowds on Tuesday, both fan walks are anticipated to draw fewer participants than Saturday's Dutch celebration, which saw attendees arriving as early as 6 a.m. and generated crowds exceeding Dutch Football Association estimates of 5,000 to 10,000 people.

The Portugal-Uzbekistan match will be the fourth of seven World Cup matches held in Houston. For fans unable to attend the stadium match, the FIFA Fan Festival in EaDo will remain open throughout the tournament, which continues through July 19.