When the announcement was made that North Texas would not host the FIFA World Cup Final, passed over for New York/New Jersey, there was understandable disappointment.
Thousands of North Texans had given their blood, sweat and tears for the better part of the last decade to secure the final.
The effort has included household names like Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, to sports stars of the past like Dirk Nowitzki and Emmitt Smith, to people who have lived and breathed it every day, like Monica Paul, Executive Director of the Dallas Sports Commission.
It was a sharp blow to be passed over for the final. But attention turned quickly to the fact that the Dallas area is getting more matches than any other FIFA host city in 2026, with nine, including a semifinal on July 14, 2026.
"We never saw that nine matches was even a possibility, Paul says." Just to see that and know that we're hosting the most matches that FIFA has the faith in us to be able to deliver that, just to know we're going to be able to welcome the world here to North Texas...is pretty special."
The decision to select North Texas as a host for the prestigious event is the culmination of years of effort from the Dallas Sports Commission and its partners.
"We saw a true regional effort and it is something that was a necessity all the way through, for us to be successful, but everyone really came forward and stepped up and worked in collaboration," Paul says of the immense collaborative effort.
With the honor of hosting these matches comes great responsibility, and Paul emphasized that years of preparation have led to this point. She highlighted a wide range of efforts from transportation, human rights, sustainability, safety, security, and facility renovations, as essential components that have been carefully planned for.
"A lot of work has been done up until this point. But now the real work starts here for the next two and a half years," Paul says.
The Dallas Sports Commission is wasting no time in beginning preparations for the monumental event. Paul confirmed that the planning and meetings regarding the logistical side of things began immediately after the announcement. The commission will be reviewing match schedules, updating economic impact reports, safety security plans, and overall costs associated with hosting nine matches rather than the anticipated six to eight.
The region will also need to be prepared for the added commerce coming to North Texas in the Summer of 2026.
"Not only from an economic impact standpoint, but you're going to have a lot of from a hotel standpoint, our restaurants, we'll be busy."
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