Dallas City Council Briefed on World Cup 2026 That’ll Bring Millions, Spur Billions
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City officials in Dallas are bracing themselves and making preparations for the summer of 2026 when millions of people are expected to descend on the metroplex to watch several FIFA World Cup matches.
D-FW will be hosting nine games at AT&T Stadium in Arlington spread across 39 days starting on June 14, 2026. Three of the bouts are in the knockout phase of the tournament and one is a semifinal, so the eyes of the sports-loving world will be on the metroplex as visitors from all over come to enjoy the matches and festivities.
While the games won’t technically be played in Dallas proper, a lot of real estate in the city is going to be activated to accommodate tournament infrastructure and the millions of revelers with World Cup fever who are expected to visit.
Dallas Opens Its Doors for FIFA
On Wednesday, Dallas City Council received a briefing from staff on the preparations being made for the tournament. Monica Paul, executive director of the Dallas Sports Commission, said a number of regional working groups have been established to plan different aspects of the month-long event’s expansive footprint, which includes various airports, hotels, and venues across D-FW.
She said five potential base camps have been identified to serve the various teams and their entourages during their stay, which include Dallas Baptist University (Dallas), Toyota Stadium (Frisco), University of Dallas (Irving), Texas Christian University (Fort Worth), and University of North Texas (Denton).
Paul also noted that there’s a “high probability” that a sixth base camp will be needed. As far as training venues go, Southern Methodist University and Cotton Bowl Stadium will play host to the visiting teams for their practice during the tournament.
FIFA Fan Festival will be held at Fair Park, running the full 39 days of the World Cup.
“This is a smaller footprint than the State Fair of Texas. So when you think of Fan Festival, it’s not quite as large as the entire Fair Park. Our capacity at one time is 35,000 people but generally at Fan Festival you have a little bit of a flow there,” Paul said, noting that entry is free.
Fair Park won’t be the only public viewing destination by any means though.
“There will be numerous other activations — public viewing parties, watch parties, fan zones — that will be able to set up throughout the region and throughout the city,” she said.
Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center is going to have no shortage of visitors either. Some 4,500-5,000 journalists and media personnel are expected to set up shop there as part of its designation as the International Broadcast Center for the tournament in D-FW. FIFA officials and staff will also be officing downtown at Founders Square. Paul noted that some FIFA staff members were already working out of the building.
Council Members
Following Paul’s presentation, council members asked questions about the city’s preparations. While public safety was top of mind for most, other issues seemed to percolate. Council Members Jesse Moreno (District 2) and Cara Mendelsohn (District 12) both expressed some concern over Dallas being in the limelight.
Moreno seemed to insinuate that some bars and restaurants that tend to operate as after-hours clubs in and around the city center could pose a problem, while Mendelsohn said something needs to be done about the homeless, not just downtown but across the city.
“I think that all of us recognize that there’s going to be a very large media focus downtown. All of us could see scenes downtown that we would not want broadcast around the world. What I would ask of you is that whatever is done is actually done citywide,” she said, advising that staff should consider opening additional emergency shelter beds.
Meanwhile, other council members stressed that the spoils of the tournament need to be spread out more evenly.
Council Member Carolyn King Arnold (District 4) said small businesses and residents from different parts of the city need to be allowed to benefit from the large economic impact expected. She said an effort needed to be made to recruit event volunteers from southern Dallas and that M/WBE businesses should be made aware of city-facilitated economic opportunities connected to the tournament.
“We would like to have a share of that treasure and investment through some of our underserved communities by reaching out to small business and entrepreneurs who would like to be a part of this,” Arnold said.
Similarly, Council Member Zarin Gracey (District 3) said staff should consider putting an official “fan activation site” at Dallas Executive Airport, which is located in his district.
“[I’m] trying to make sure we can have the opportunity to ensure Oak Cliff is exposed to everything that’s going on as well,” he said.
Ostensibly, there’s going to be a lot going on. Paul cited a study conducted by Deloitte, which put the total economic impact for D-FW between $1.1 to $2.5 billion.
