The mayor of Arlington is leaving Thursday for a trip to Qatar, which will host the 2022 World Cup later this year. Jim Ross is traveling with the mayors of Detroit and Rochester Hills, Michigan and San Jose, California.
"We're going to be out there on a cultural exchange, and it gives me an opportunity to also see what Qatar is doing for the World Cup," said Arlington Mayor Jim Ross.
FIFA has said it would announce venues that will host the World Cup at an event in New York June 16. The organization has chosen North America to host the 2026, and North Texas is a potential site for matches or the final.
"Whether it's Globe Life Field, AT&T Stadium, Choctaw Stadium, Toyota Stadium, Dickies Arena, the American Airlines Center, everything we have in North Texas is just amazing," Ross said.
Representatives from FIFA and CONCACAF visited North Texas last year. FC Dallas President Dan Hunt chairs the 2026 Committee. During that visit, he said North Texas would be a strong candidate because of the number of venues it can offer for matches or practices.
"Hopefully, they can walk away with a positive feeling for the city and for our different venues," he said. "This is such an amazing community."
In addition to AT&T Stadium, Ross says North Texas offers Toyota Stadium in Frisco, the home of FC Dallas, the Cotton Bowl, which hosted six matches during the 1994 World Cup, Choctaw Stadium in Arlington and smaller facilities which could host practices.
In addition to research about the World Cup, Ross says he and the other mayors will work on a cultural exchange, which can bring more attention and international visitors to Arlington and North Texas.
"If we had an event like the World Cup, everybody benefits from that," Ross said
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