NRG Stadium

Houston, United States · Capacity: 72,220

Local timezone: America/Chicago

NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas is in the America/Chicago timezone (UTC-5 during Central Daylight Time in June and July 2026). It hosts 7 FIFA World Cup 2026 matches, including a round of 16.

The Timezone at a Glance

Houston sits in the Central time zone, IANA identifier America/Chicago. The offset during the World Cup is UTC-5. The US shifted its clocks forward in March, so there is no timezone change mid-tournament.

Houston is one hour behind New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Miami, and Toronto. It shares its clock with Dallas and Kansas City in the US, and with Mexico City, Guadalajara, and Monterrey across the border.

What Houston Kickoff Times Mean Globally

A 19:00 kickoff at NRG Stadium translates to:

New York (EDT): 20:00
London (BST): 00:00 midnight
Paris / Berlin (CEST): 01:00
Johannesburg (SAST): 01:00
Dubai (GST): 04:00
Mumbai (IST): 05:30
Tokyo (JST): 09:00
Sydney (AEST): 10:00
Los Angeles (PDT): 16:00
Sao Paulo (BRT): 21:00

A 19:00 start in Houston is midnight in London, which is the Central timezone’s characteristic European viewing window. The earlier a match kicks off locally, the more accessible it becomes for European prime time. A 13:00 Houston start is 19:00 in London.

DST in June and July 2026

Both the US and Mexico observe daylight saving time in summer. The US moved its clocks forward on the second Sunday in March 2026. Houston (Central) is therefore UTC-5 throughout the entire World Cup. There is no overlap or ambiguity: Houston and Dallas match times are directly comparable because they share the same timezone.

How Houston Compares to Other Venues

Houston is part of the Central band with Dallas and Kansas City in the US, and Mexico City, Guadalajara, and Monterrey in Mexico. All six share UTC-5 in June and July. Houston is two hours ahead of Los Angeles, Seattle, and Vancouver, and one hour behind the Eastern group.