As Houston prepares to host matches during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, community leaders and corporate partners are investing in the city’s neighborhoods through soccer and youth development programs.
Visa, Street Soccer USA and Bank of America officially opened the Visa Street Soccer Park at Chimney Rock Center this week, unveiling a new community space that includes two professional-grade soccer fields, a financial education learning center and youth programming designed to serve families long after the World Cup concludes.
The opening celebration brought together more than 100 children and families for the park’s inaugural youth matches, featuring local teams including the Blue Monsters and the Admirals. The event also included soccer clinics led by Street Soccer USA coaches and athletes, local food vendors and family-friendly activities.
“This is about community,” said Rob Kahn, co-founder of Street Soccer USA. “This is about teaching life skills through soccer and giving access to the beautiful game.”
Kahn said the project is part of a broader initiative between Street Soccer USA, Visa and Bank of America to build soccer parks in cities hosting the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
“Our mission is to strengthen communities through soccer across 20 cities in the U.S.,” Kahn said. “Long after the World Cup is gone, our neighborhoods have access to awesome places to play.”
The facility includes a modified shipping container that serves as a learning center focused on financial literacy, digital literacy, mentorship and homework assistance. Organizers said the educational component is intended to complement the athletic programming and provide broader support for neighborhood youth.
Kahn said the goal is to create opportunities for children who may not otherwise have access to organized sports.
“Playing on teams and playing in youth sports can be hard,” he said. “Getting to practices, traveling — we want to build an awesome soccer culture in the neighborhoods, particularly neighborhoods that traditionally don’t have field access and don’t have the resources to play in clubs.”
Bank of America Houston Market Executive Rick Jaramillo said the company wanted to ensure local communities benefit from the international attention and economic impact expected from the World Cup.
“It’s really important for Bank of America to be part of this because there’s just so many things that are going to be beneficial for Houston in terms of the FIFA World Cup coming to Houston,” Jaramillo said. “Business is going to do well. The city is going to do well. And we want to make sure that the neighborhoods do well.”
Jaramillo said the soccer fields give local children a chance to feel connected to the global event while gaining life skills through sports.
“These kids are our future, and these neighborhoods are our future,” he said. “This is an opportunity for these kids to learn how to play the game that they love, soccer. It’s an opportunity for them to learn teamwork, resiliency and how to play together.”
The new fields at Chimney Rock Park are permanently open to the public at no cost, according to organizers.
The event also featured remarks from Lawrence Cann, Lila Nieves-Lee and local nonprofit and community leaders.
Organizers said the Houston park is part of a growing national network of community soccer spaces aimed at strengthening neighborhoods through accessible recreation and educational programming.
“We want to see this today just be the beginning,” Kahn said. “A long-term commitment to growing the sport, investing in youth and giving opportunities for them to achieve the goals they want in life on the field and off the field.”
