As FIFA World Cup excitement continues to sweep all corners of the world, the U.S. and Texas, Cullen Auditorium has been a beacon for soccer fans during the work day for the Baylor College of Medicine community.

Starting with the June 12 game between Canada and Bosnia-Herzegovina, Baylor has hosted World Cup Watch Parties to give faculty, staff and students a place to catch the game and cheer for their favorite soccer team. Subsequent watch parties were held on June 19, June 26, July 10 and July 14 and July 15 for the semifinal games between France and Spain and England and Argentina.

Each week, photos were shared from across the College showing Baylor community members sporting big smiles and player jerseys from across the globe.

Reliant Stadium (formerly NRG and dubbed Houston Stadium for the World Cup) hosted seven matches this summer, concluding with Morocco defeating Canada on July 5 in the Round of 16. According to FIFA, close to half a million (480,184) fans attended matches in Houston.

In Houston’s East End, the FIFA Fan Festival has stayed packed with soccer fans and partygoers on game days, including the ones when the heat, humidity and rain took a turn for the worst.

Houston’s Oranje Fanwalk brought 25,000 Dutch fans and Houstonians to the streets before the Netherlands defeated Sweden on June 20.

The third-place playoff match will be at 4 p.m. July 18 in Miami. The World Cup Final will be at 2 p.m. July 19 in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

Thanks to all who attended Baylor’s watch parties and joined the FIFA fun this summer!

By Julie Garcia, senior communications associate in the Office of Communications and Community Outreach