Houstonians continue to show enthusiasm for the arrival of the FIFA World Cup this summer. On Saturday, April 11, local politicians, celebrities, and youth soccer players contributed to setting a new official Guinness World Record for the longest continuous line of soccer balls.

Held at Hermann Park, the effort lined up more than 1,000 soccer balls to set the new record. DaMarcus Beasley, the only American to play in four World Cups, and Houston hip-hop legend Bun B participated in the event. An official Guinness World Records judge was on hand to confirm the feat.

All of the more than 1,000 soccer balls used in the record-breaking event were donated to Grow the Game, a collaboration between the FIFA World Cup 2026 Houston Host Committee and the Harris County-Houston Sports Authority Foundation. The program aims to expand access to soccer for underserved youth across Houston through free and low-cost programming, including clinics, tournaments, and more.

“Today’s event is about more than breaking a world record, it’s about celebrating Houston and investing in its future,” Airbnb executive Laura Spanjian said in a statement. “As the world prepares to come to Houston for the FIFA World Cup 2026, we’re proud to support programs that ensure local communities, especially young people, can be part of that moment in a meaningful and lasting way.”

As Spanjian notes, Airbnb has committed more than $1 million to helping Houston get ready for the FIFA World Cup, which will feature seven matches between June 14 and July 4. These efforts include money for improvements along the Green Corridor, a 14-mile long path connecting multiple major landmarks in Houston through safe, walkable paths that include shade trees and other improvements.

Airbnb expects that Houston will welcome more than 31,000 visitors during the World Cup, generating an estimated $372 million economic impact, according to Deloitte.

Courtesy of Airbnb

DaMarcus Beasley, Bun B, and the Guinness World Records adjudicator.