The 2026 soccer World Cup brought much more than football to Texas. During an action-packed period in June, NBSO Texas helped organize and support several events that used the international attention surrounding the tournament to strengthen economic, governmental and societal ties between the Netherlands, Curaçao and Texas.
From business and innovation to healthcare, inclusive sports and international cooperation, the tournament provided a unique platform for bringing together companies, public-sector representatives and local partners from across the Houston region.
Curaçao in the spotlight
Curaçao’s historic participation in the World Cup created a unique opportunity to showcase not only its football achievements, but also its economic potential.
On June 12, CINEX (Curaçao’s trade agency) and the Ministry of Economic Development of Curaçao hosted “Curaçao: gateway to Energy, Trade & innovation” at the Downtown Aquarium in Houston, in partnership with T.E.A.M. Houston, Cosmo Cool Concepts and NBSO Texas. The event connected Curaçao government and business representatives with Houston-based companies and public-sector partners, with a focus on energy, logistics, financial services, tourism and innovation.
The Curaçao program also included a special Guiness World Records breakfast and award ceremony at Hotel Zaza, where Curaçao received the official certificate recognizing it as the smallest country by population ever to qualify for the World Cup. Together with the match-day activities and the Blue Wave Village, these events helped Curaçao use the international attention surrounding the tournament to raise its profile and build new connections in Texas.
Celebrating friendship in Dallas
Following the Netherlands-Japan match in Dallas on June 14, NBSO Texas joined a special reception at Circle T Ranch celebrating the friendship between the Netherlands, Japan and the United States. Hosted by senior American representatives with ties to both countries, the event brought together diplomats, governments representatives and business leaders from all three nations. Stef van de Vijver attended on behalf of NBSO Texas, providing another valuable opportunity to strengthen international connections around the tournament.
Minister Mirjam Sterk visits Houston
The World Cup also provided the backdrop for a working visit by Mirjam Sterk, Dutch Minister for Long-Term Care, Youth and Sport.
Her program began with a scene-setting roundtable at the Ion, where representatives from the Houston region discussed developments in healthcare, healthy aging, accessibility and inclusive sports. This was followed by an informal reception with local health care, sports and government partners.
During the following days, the Minister and her delegation visited several Houston organizations working at the intersection of health care, social inclusion and sport. The program included the Metropolitan Multi-Service and the Center for Emergency Preparedness, with particular attention to services for older people and people with disabilities.
At Baylor College of Medicine, the delegation exchanged ideas with researchers and medical specialists working on Alzheimer’s disease, dementia and other neurodegenerative conditions. The delegation also visited TIRR Memorial Hermann, one of Houston’s leading rehabilitation institutions, and met with the Houston Dynamo Unified Team, which brings together athletes with and without intellectual disabilities.
The visit offered valuable opportunities to compare Dutch and Texan approaches and explore future cooperation in areas such as rehabilitation, accessible sports, long-term care and healthy aging.
Exploring Houston’s Innovation Ecosystem with ING
On June 19, NBSO Texas supported an innovation program for an ING delegation together with Reinout Oerlemans.
At the Ion, the delegation received an introduction to Houston’s broader business environment and met with organizations and companies working on robotics, artificial intelligence could transform industries such as energy, manufacturing and logistics.
An energy-focused panel brought together perspectives from Houston’s energy and technology ecosystem, including the Gulf Energy Catalyst, AWS and Chevron. The program concluded with a visit to the Texas Medical Center, where the delegation learned more about TMC Innovation and Houston’s rapidly expanding healthcare and life-sciences ecosystem.
By connecting energy, health care, artificial intelligence, and robots in a single program, the visit illustrated the diversity of Houston’s economy and the many opportunities for cooperation between Dutch and Texan companies.
Houston Goes Orange
The week culminated in the Houston Goes Orange reception at Rice University Stadium. Organized by NBSO Texas together with the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the Consulate General in Miami, the reception brought together Dutch and Texan business leaders, government representatives, health care and innovation partners, sports organizations and members of the Dutch community.
With Rice Stadium decorated in orange and the Orange double-decker bus parked outside, the reception captured the excitement and energy surrounding the tournament. Guests had the opportunity to reconnect with existing partners, make new contacts and celebrate the strong relationship between the Netherlands and Texas.
Minister Mirjam Sterk and Dutch Ambassador to the United States Birgitta Tazelaar addressed the guests and reflected on the importance of sport as a way to bring people and countries together. Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo also presented a proclamation officially designating June 19, 2026, as “Harris County-Netherlands Friendship Day” in recognition of the strong relationship between the Netherlands and Harris County. The evening demonstrated how major sporting events can be used to create lasting business, governmental and community connections.
Looking beyond the final whistle
Although it was disappointing to see Oranje leave the tournament earlier than we had hoped, we look back on an unforgettable World Cup period in Texas.
We greatly enjoyed the matches, the orange atmosphere and, above all, the many conversations and new connections created around the tournament. The events showed that the impact of a World Cup reaches far beyond the football pitch.
NBSO Texas looks forward to building on the relationships, ideas and opportunities that emerged during this special period in Houston.
