What to know about the World Cup in Dallas
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Years of preparations will come to fruition this summer. Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios. Stock: Getty Images
Lionel Messi, a Dutch Orange Bus and the Turnpike Troubadours will have something in common after this summer: a taste of soccer fever in Dallas.
Why it matters: For five glorious weeks, fans around the world will stop to watch the same thing.
- Add Messi's likely last dance and soccer's most watched event playing out in North Texas, and even the most casual fan has reason to tune in.
Catch up quick: This is the first time that three countries are cohosting a Men's World Cup (the U.S. also hosted the 1994 tournament). The 2026 tournament kicks off Thursday in Mexico City.
- North Texas is hosting nine matches, including a semifinal match on July 14.
- The region also has the tournament's sole International Broadcast Center and base camps for teams from Sweden and the Czech Republic.
State of play: The English-language broadcast will be on Fox, FS1 and the Fox One app.
- Telemundo will air Spanish-language broadcasts in the U.S., and will air games on Universo, Peacock and the Telemundo app.
Players to watch: Four FC Dallas Academy products are on the U.S. team, which plays its first match Friday against Paraguay.
- Active FC Dallas players are on other national teams. Petar Musa is on Croatia's national team, Herman Johansson is on Sweden's roster and Louicius Deedson will represent Haiti in its first World Cup in 52 years.
If you're going: Dallas Stadium will open three hours before kickoff for each game. The restrictions include a clear bag policy.
- FIFA is asking North Texans to drive to the stadium. J. Gilligan's and Grease Monkey are offering shuttles, charging per person.
- If you don't care for traffic and parking fees, you can take DART or the TRE and then take a bus to the stadium. Match tickets will be required to board the bus.
If you're not going: Start times for the Dallas Stadium matches range from noon to 9pm. Check the schedule and anticipated peak travel periods before planning your route to work and other places on match days.
- North Texas' World Cup committee suggests working from home, if you're able to, on days when the region is hosting a match.
How other host cities are preparing