Dallas will host nine matches of the FIFA World Cup 2026 at AT&T Stadium, starting on June 14. This makes Dallas the city with the most matches of any single venue in the tournament, including those outside the U.S.
Alongside the global spectacle for Dallas comes FIFA’s high-profile social campaigns designed to project a message of unity on one of the world’s biggest sporting stages. This messaging comes as Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin warned this week that the tournament’s threat level is “extremely high – especially in soft areas outside of the stadiums.”
FIFA confirmed it will run at least three of its social awareness programs and ads throughout all 104 World Cup matches, including the No Racism, Unite The World, and Be Active campaigns.
The No Racism campaign, built around the message “Listen, Stand Up, Show Up,” will reportedly be visible at every game, either in on-field advertisements or in other showcases.
At last month’s 76th FIFA Congress in Vancouver, President Gianni Infantino joined a Players’ Voice Panel to update member associations on that Global Stand Against Racism initiative. The program was introduced at the 74th FIFA Congress in Bangkok in 2024, where delegates reportedly voted in support after Infantino made a case for a united front against racism in the sport. Since then, FIFA has amended its Disciplinary Code, granting match officials authority to stop games in cases of racist abuse, and introduced the “No Racism Gesture” at all matches.
“Two years on, while challenges remain, we have made real and meaningful progress,” Infantino said, per an April 30, 2026, press release.
Yet violence has marked the World Cup’s history. After France’s 2018 victory, celebrations in Paris descended into looting and riots, prompting police to deploy tear gas and water cannons. Two people reportedly died during the chaos.
Following Morocco’s strong run in 2022, fans clashed with police in several different cities, including Brussels, Rotterdam, and Amsterdam, with riot squads using batons and water cannons to try and restore order, per Dutch news outlet NOS.
FIFA has also faced setbacks on its home turf.
A July 2025 Human Rights Watch report showed that the organization quietly dropped its anti-discrimination messaging during the Club World Cup – widely viewed as a dress rehearsal for the 2026 tournament – after homophobic chants erupted at a match in Atlanta. FIFA briefly reinstated the messages on the International Day for Countering Hate Speech before pulling them again.
Dallas-area officials are reportedly using federal funding – part of more than $51 million awarded to the North Texas host region through the Department of Homeland Security’s FIFA World Cup Grant Program – to strengthen security at the tournament with new cameras, anti-ramming barriers, and modern drone detection technology. AT&T Stadium will also operate as a no-fly zone during its nine scheduled matches, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
The World Cup kicks off on June 11. Texas takes the stage three days later.
What the Experts are Saying
Crisis Communication Expert, Thomas Mustac, spoke to The Dallas Express about the impact of FIFA’s campaigns.
“FIFA’s ‘No Racism’ and ‘Unite for Peace’ campaigns are more than symbolic messaging, but reputation-defining frameworks for how global sporting organizations respond to social tension, discrimination and geopolitical division on the world stage. Such initiatives will be crucial in establishing the behavioral expectations of fans, players, sponsors and host cities at one of the most globally visible sporting events in history – the 2026 World Cup.
The success of these efforts will be judged at the end of the day by the visible enforcement of the rules, cross-cultural education, coordination of stadium security, and quick response communication plans to ensure incidents are dealt with and are visible across the board. The greatest major sporting events are those that unite people by making them feel safe, respected and united by the experience, not divided,” Mustac told DX.
The Dallas Express has received FIFA media accreditation and will provide readers with comprehensive and timely coverage of the games.
