North Texas city officials and sports leaders have made their official pitch to FIFA in the hopes of hosting the World Cup in 2026 at the AT&T Stadium.
While pitching why North Texas would be a great location to bring the games, FIFA officials took a tour of the FC Dallas facilities in Frisco and the National Soccer Hall of Fame. According to WFAA, FIFA toured the locations on Saturday as part of the 17 cities, all vying to become the host city.
“We have so much infrastructure, so many assets, I mean we are the right fit for the World Cup here in North Texas,” Monica Paul, Dallas Sports Commission executive director, shared.
Adding, “No region prides itself on hosting big time sporting events more like Dallas. We do it well. We do it often, and we like to do them big.”
Vice President of the Dallas Cowboys, Stephen Jones, is equally excited for the possible opportunity to host the World Cup games.
“We wanted this to be an asset to North Texas that we could host major events, and of course, it doesn’t get any bigger than the World Cup,” Jones said. “We put our resources into this for moments like this which is to step up and host the world’s greatest event.”
Colin Smith, FIFA’s chief competitions and events officer, shared some insight on what makes a city the right candidate for such a big event. Officials are looking for a suitable pitch or field for the game to be played. They also take into account transportation within the area, weather is a factor, infrastructure, and more.
“We want to deliver magical experiences to each and every person that’s involved,” Smith shared.
FIFA will make their official announcement of the hosting city sometime in early 2022.