Nov 25, 2024 - Sports
How FIFA is preparing for the 2026 Men's World Cup
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Illustration: Natalie Peeples/Axios
Five North Texas cities could play a special role as base camps for the 2026 FIFA Men's World Cup.
Why it matters: AT&T Stadium will host nine matches over the 39-day tournament, the most of any region.
- Each match is expected to be the equivalent of a Super Bowl, bringing millions of dollars in revenue and thousands of temporary jobs to North Texas.
The big picture: The U.S., Canada and Mexico will co-host the 2026 FIFA World Cup from June 11 to July 19.
- Each team will be assigned a base camp — a hotel and training site — where they will stay and prepare for the group stage.
The latest: Last week, FIFA announced 26 new potential base camps.
- The association has also launched a new ticketing program, in which individuals and companies can make a $500 refundable deposit for priority access to hospitality packages that will include match tickets. Signups are open until Feb. 16.
Zoom in: FIFA has selected five pairings from North Texas as potential base camps.
- Dallas Baptist University and the Westin in downtown Dallas
- Toyota Stadium and the Renaissance in Plano's Legacy West development
- The University of Dallas and the Omni Las Colinas
- Texas Christian University and the Sheraton in downtown Fort Worth
- The University of North Texas and the Embassy Suites at the Denton Convention Center
What's next: The 48 participating teams will select base camps in December 2025, when they learn where their group stage games will be played.
- Hospitality sales start in early 2025. Ticket sales for 2026 will start after the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, per a FIFA spokesperson.
- You can also sign up here to receive FIFA's updates about ticket sales.