The 2026 World Cup has turned out to be an awesome experience because of all of the different countries and cultures coming to North America and having a wonderful time. But in the case of the BBC, they may have taken some creative liberties when it comes to celebrating the city of Houston.
Houston has a lot going for it. The city is the fifth most-populous metropolitan area in the country. Its port on the Gulf of Mexico drives international and global trade. It’s the center of American space travel. It’s one of the most diverse cities in America. And for the 2026 World Cup, it’s serving as one of the host cities for the tournament.
One thing Houston does not have is mountains.
Houston sits on the Gulf Coastal Plain and rests at just 105 feet above sea level. Nobody is going to confuse it with Denver anytime soon.
However, when the BBC was at halftime of the Portugal vs Democratic Republic of the Congo game that was taking place in the city, they showcased a green screen backdrop of the Houston skyline. Except for some unknown reason, they added mountains in the background to try to dress it up a little bit in what may have been some kind of stroke of AI or CGI genius.
.@BBC adding mountains to the green screen background of Houston is one of the most dubious things I’ve ever seen pic.twitter.com/3AltHaHwLR
— Reed Wilburn, MD, MS (@drwilburnmd) June 17, 2026
The pro sports teams in Houston had some fun with the BBC’s geographical error with both the Dynamo and the Rockets making light of their newfound mountain scenery.
You just can’t beat this view 😍 https://t.co/s374v1svty pic.twitter.com/21vKwVTE6n
— Houston Dynamo FC (@HoustonDynamo) June 18, 2026
Just another beautiful day in the Houston Alps 🏔️ https://t.co/7mTko482Hs pic.twitter.com/Me0zn03MN2
— Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) June 18, 2026
We’ve seen some creative liberties or oversights in B-roll footage around sports telecasts happen before, but never quite to this level. But if the BBC is going to give Houston a nice desert mountain range, they should just go all the way with it. Let’s see some beautiful waterfalls in New York, a Kansas City tropical paradise, and a view of Los Angeles that has no traffic to speak of.
About Matt Yoder