FIFA announced the 2026 World Cup schedule hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico at Arlington’s AT&T Stadium on Sunday, and Dallas’ bid to host the championship match was denied after it had been rumored to be the favorite.
Instead, the final match will be played at MetLife Stadium, home of the New York Giants and Jets, in East Rutherford, New Jersey. AT&T Stadium will still host nine matches throughout the tournament, including one of the semifinals.
“We had an ambitious plan to bring the World Cup here, and obviously, we talked about having the final,” Dan Hunt, president of FC Dallas, told the media Monday morning. “It was a tough competition that we had, but we were rewarded with nine matches, which is an unbelievable accomplishment [and] more than anybody. … This is a massive win for Dallas-Fort Worth and a massive win for everyone involved.”
While the decision to play the final elsewhere was seen as a significant blow upon its announcement, Hunt and Monica Paul, executive director of the Dallas Sports Commission, credit the recent bid and other attempts to host during past World Cups for putting Dallas in the conversation.
“When we started our bids for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups that ultimately went to Russia and Qatar, I don’t think Dallas would’ve even been in the discussion [or] even in consideration, possibly, to host the Final,” Paul explained. “The fact that we were a contender [and] we were in those meetings and those discussions with the FIFA staff as a possible host of the Final at the end of the day really puts Dallas and the DFW metroplex on a global path moving forward, and I think the sky’s the limit.”
Dallas last hosted World Cup matches in 1994, when the Cotton Bowl was a host site. Things have changed since then, and Dallas is now a global sports hub.
“Dallas is no longer [just] a big city in the United States. Dallas is a big city globally, and this validates that,” Hunt said. “In 1994, the United States wasn’t ready but did a great job. The Cotton Bowl did a fabulous job. I remember the rhetoric and the global rhetoric … Now, we’re in the conversation for the semifinal. You always want more, but we did a fantastic job and were rewarded for a fantastic job.”
Previous World Cups have given rise to soccer’s growth in the metroplex, and Hunt hopes the 2026 World Cup can have a similar effect.
“We’re the biggest benefactors of World Cups because the 1966 World Cup Final brought to life the Dallas Tornado, and the ’94 World Cup brought to life the Dallas Burn, who are now FC Dallas,” he explained. “… If that’s what our past looks like, what does the future look like?”
DFW is also in the running to be the tournament’s primary media hub, although that decision will come further down the line. If Dallas wins that bid, the media headquarters would be located at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in Downtown Dallas.
With two years left to prepare for the World Cup, the Dallas Sports Commission is increasing its efforts to provide a quality experience when the time comes.
“We have a big road ahead of us, but I’m very confident like we have when hosting recent events, that we’re going to host the best World Cup ever,” Paul remarked.