DALLAS – The 2026 FIFA World Cup is coming to North Texas again. And for the first time ever, games will be played at AT&T Stadium.
The announcement was made Thursday at the AT&T Discovery District as part of the unveiling for the 16 cities that were selected to be host sites in partnership with the Cowboys, FC Dallas and the Dallas Sports Commission.
"This is such a great opportunity for Dallas. And such a great opportunity for Texas," Jones said after the announcement. "When you see World Class competition, it raises your level of aspiration. The more I've been associated with the Cowboys, the more I've seen how meaningful soccer is to sports."
The specific rounds for each site will be announced at a later date.
With Dallas securing a spot as one of the 10/11 U.S. cities to host a match, the event is expected to reign in nearly $400 million in revenue while creating as many as 3,000 new jobs. It has been 28 years since Dallas hosted a World Cup match with the most recent time coming in 1994 at the Cotton Bowl.
Dallas was in competition with 15 other cities around the U.S., including Houston. A full partnership with Toyota Stadium, the Cotton Bowl, Globe Life Field, and Fair Park is expected to serve as training sites across multiple cities in the metroplex.
"This is a big day for the city of Dallas. Being named as a host city for FIFA World Cup 2026™ provides a once-in-a generation opportunity to create a legacy for North Texas through the most popular sport in the world," said Dallas Sports Commission Executive Director Monica Paul. "From infrastructure and arts to top-level training facilities and a world-class venue in AT&T Stadium, Dallas offers everything that the committee could have wanted in a host city. It's incredibly gratifying to be chosen, and we can't wait to begin preparing for FIFA World Cup 2026™."
Cities also named as FIFA World Cup 2026 host cities include Atlanta, Boston, Guadalajara, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Mexico City, Miami, Monterrey, New York/New Jersey, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle, Toronto and Vancouver.
"There is no greater sporting event in the world than the FIFA World Cup," said Dan Hunt, Dallas 2026 Host City Bid Chairman and President, FC Dallas. "We are thrilled that FIFA has selected Dallas as a host city for the North American bid and FC Dallas is proud to play an important part in this process.
Thursday's announcement serves as a major accomplishment for the DFW area and the professional sports organizations involved, but there are bigger aspirations on the line. While locking down the bid to host a semifinal match is a major win, the goal of course is the eventually host multiple matches, including a final.
"I'm deterred at all by the excellent quality of the competition," Jones said of AT&T Stadium hosting games such as a potential semifinal or a final. "Somebody is going to get it and I feel like it can be us just as easy as it can them. I'm not going to hold back and think about coming up short.
The financial and job creation aspect of hosting a World Cup match cannot be overstated, however. An economic boom that can stem from a global event of this magnitude, if done correctly, should only further Dallas' chances in the future to sustain itself as a viable option moving forward.
