Nine matches — more than any other venue on earth — Lionel Messi, England, the Netherlands, a free Fan Festival at Fair Park, $32 million in security upgrades, team base camps in Frisco and Mansfield, and the George W. Bush Presidential Center’s new soccer exhibit. Dallas is ready.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup begins June 11. And when the tournament’s most anticipated matches kick off, they kick off in North Texas. Dallas Stadium — the renamed AT&T Stadium in Arlington — hosts more matches than any other venue in the entire tournament. Nine matches across the group stage, knockout rounds, and a semifinal on July 14. More than any city on the planet.
The world is coming to Dallas. Here is your complete guide to everything happening.
The Matches — Nine Chances to See History Made
Dallas Stadium hosts five group stage matches and four knockout rounds — more than any other host venue in the 2026 World Cup. The confirmed schedule:
Sunday, June 14, 3 p.m. CT — Netherlands vs. Japan Wednesday, June 17, 3 p.m. CT — England vs. Croatia Monday, June 22, noon CT — Argentina vs. Austria Thursday, June 25, 2 p.m. CT — Japan vs. European Play-off B Saturday, June 27, 9 p.m. CT — Jordan vs. Argentina
Tuesday, June 30 — Round of 32 Friday, July 3 — Round of 32 Monday, July 6 — Round of 16 Tuesday, July 14 — Semifinal
Among the confirmed stars taking the field at Dallas Stadium is Lionel Messi — the Argentine captain and two-time World Cup champion whose presence alone is expected to generate enormous international attention. England, the Netherlands, Croatia, and Japan all bring passionate global fan bases to North Texas. And Jordan’s appearance marks a historic first for a nation making its World Cup debut.
The FIFA Fan Festival at Fair Park — Free for Everyone
Fans without stadium tickets are not left out. The official FIFA Fan Festival runs at Fair Park in Dallas across 34 match days from June 14 through July 14 — a 277-acre complex that is the annual home of the State Fair of Texas and holds the world’s largest collection of Art Deco exhibition buildings.
The Fan Festival is free with advance registration — up to eight tickets per registration, with a capacity of approximately 35,000 per day. Giant screens broadcast every match. Live music, food vendors, sponsor activations, and cultural programming fill the grounds on match days and off. Premium upgrades — a GA+ pass at $50 per day or a Legend pass at $250 per day — are available for purchase and include priority access and enhanced amenities.
Registration is required and free at dallasfwc26.com/fifafanfestival-dallas. Register in advance — capacity is managed and gates close when the grounds reach capacity.
Fair Park sits adjacent to a DART light rail station, making it easily accessible from downtown Dallas and the broader Metroplex without the parking challenge.
Team Base Camps in North Texas
The World Cup experience extends well beyond Arlington. Czechia and Sweden will use North Texas as their official team base camps during the tournament — training at Texas Health Mansfield Stadium and Toyota Stadium in Frisco respectively. These facilities become the day-to-day home for international teams during their time in Dallas, bringing team activity, media presence, and international visitors directly into the suburban communities west and north of Dallas.
Security, Infrastructure, and Art
The City of Dallas has invested significantly in preparing for the influx of international visitors. Dallas Police Department is utilizing $32 million in federal funding for drone surveillance, high-tech security monitoring, and enhanced crowd management infrastructure across the host city corridor.
The city has also debuted massive new art murals celebrating soccer and Dallas’s cultural diversity throughout the urban core, and the George W. Bush Presidential Center has opened a new soccer exhibit marking the occasion — adding a cultural dimension to the tournament that extends well beyond the stadium.
The public art installation The World Is Ours by Dallas artist Risk Rock — a 12-foot bronze hand lifting a rotating globe made of repurposed spray cans and international license plates — has been installed at Fair Park on the same platform as the iconic Big Tex, serving as one of the defining visual landmarks of Dallas’s World Cup season.
Getting to Dallas Stadium
AT&T Stadium sits in Arlington between Dallas and Fort Worth, accessible via I-30 and Highway 360. Rideshare is the recommended transportation method on match days — parking demand will be extraordinary, and the stadium experience begins well before kickoff for most international fans. Plan to arrive at least two to three hours early.
Clear bag policy is in effect. Airport-style security screening at all entrances. Cashless concessions throughout the stadium.
For fans based in downtown Dallas, the DART light rail connects to the Trinity Railway Express, which runs to the CentrePort/DFW Airport station with shuttle connections to Arlington on match days.
The Full Dallas World Cup Picture
DallasFWC26 is the local organizing committee coordinating the Dallas World Cup experience — working with FIFA, local governments, business associations, and community organizations to ensure the tournament benefits Dallas businesses and residents while managing the operational and logistical demands of hosting the world.
The tournament runs June 11 through July 19. Dallas Stadium hosts its nine matches June 14 through July 14. The Fan Festival at Fair Park runs across all 34 Dallas match days.
Match tickets: Purchase only through fifa.com — the official and only authorized source Fan Festival registration: dallasfwc26.com/fifafanfestival-dallas — free, registration required Team base camps: Toyota Stadium, Frisco (Sweden) and Texas Health Mansfield Stadium (Czechia) Local organizing committee: dallasfwc26.com TV broadcast: Every match on Fox and FS1 Dallas Stadium address: 1 AT&T Way, Arlington, TX 76011 Fair Park address: 3921 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Dallas, TX 75210
