North Texas is set to host nine matches for the FIFA World Cup this summer with nearly four million people expected to visit the area.
While the games are at AT&T Stadium — called 'Dallas' Stadium during the tournament — in Arlington, Dallas is expected to receive the majority of hotel bookings in the region and will be the hub for FIFA's International Broadcast Center.
Here's what to know about how the FIFA World Cup will impact Dallas.
FIFA World Cup dates
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will feature 48 teams and run from June 11 through July 19.
North Texas will host nine matches starting June 14 with the region's last match, the semifinal round, scheduled for July 14.
The matches start in June, however FIFA is already settling into Dallas with the installation of the International Broadcast Center, or IBC, at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center. The IBC will broadcast all 104 matches out of Dallas and host around 2,000 broadcast media representatives.
FIFA took over the convention center for its IBC on January 14 for broadcasters to move in their equipment. Broadcast operations are scheduled to start in late May and end with the final match. The IBC will be decommissioned between July 20 through August 24.
FIFA Fan Festival at Fair Park
If you're not able to get a ticket to see a World Cup match at 'Dallas' Stadium, Fair Park in Dallas will have free live match viewing at the Dos Equis Pavilion as part of the FIFA Fan Festival.
The FIFA Fan Festival will have the capacity for 35,000 people and matches will be featured on giant screens around the main stage.
Noelle LeVeaux, North Texas FIFA World Cup Organizing Committee Chief Marketing Officer, said the Fan Festival's free status will not change throughout the planning.
"We think this is a fantastic opportunity for our community to come out and experience the World Cup really firsthand," she said during the city council briefing on Wednesday.
The Fan Festival will operate for at least 34 days and show about 98 matches. That will exclude matches that
start at 10 and 11 p.m. Central Time.
LeVeaux said they also expect to have three to four ticketed concerts with entertainment plans still being finalized.
The festival will also have community days in coordination with non-profits and school districts to support youth and community engagement.
Transportation
Dallas and the North Central Texas Council of Governments have conducted tabletop exercises over the last 16 months to time how long it takes to get from Dallas to Arlington and from Fort Worth to Arlington, Rocky Vaz, North Texas FWC Organizing Committee Director of City Services and IBC, said during Wednesday's briefing.
Additional transportation coordination and scenario planning will take place in the coming months ahead of the North Texas matches.
A final regional transportation plan, which includes Dallas operations, is due to FIFA by the end of March, LeVeaux said.
A comprehensive pilot test of the transportation system, including Dallas-specific routes and operations, is scheduled for around late April.
Safety and Security
The Dallas-Fort Worth area is expected to see 3.8 million visitors during the run of the FIFA Word Cup with about 100,000 visitors per day.
Out of the estimated 54% of international visitors coming to North Texas for the World Cup, 41% of them are expected to speak English. Dallas residents have voiced concerns for months about U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in the area, less than six months ahead of their arrival.
Plans for their arrival come in the wake of heightened U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement crackdowns over the last year.
Because of local concerns, Council Member Adam Bazaldua said he thought welcoming messaging was important for visitors.
"I put myself in the shoes of someone that's traveling here internationally, and I don't know that the stage has been set to be very welcoming for some of our neighbors in other countries," Bazaldua said.
Vaz told the Dallas City Council that federal and state partners have worked with regional departments for months to plan fire, law enforcement, and public health emergency services.
The Dallas Police Department will raise its minimum staffing during the World Cup from 80% to 90% and expects to meet those minimums while the matches are in North Texas.
"We're gonna to make sure we have enough numbers and enough officers to keep everyone safe here," Dallas Police Chief Daniel Comeaux said.
The first version of the human rights plan for the World Cup will be released February 16, LeVeaux said, with the final version available in May.
That plan will include guidelines for worker grievances, city and regional homelessness coalitions, free speech toolkits, and public awareness efforts tied to the World Cup.
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