The news that AT&T Stadium would host nine matches in the 2026 World Cup, albeit not the World Cup Final, stirred varied reactions among soccer enthusiasts across the Metroplex.
However, businesses entrenched in the DFW soccer scene are already anticipating a substantial boost from the influx of World Cup visitors.
Soccer can often be a game of close calls. On Sunday, certain fans in DFW felt like luck wasn’t on their side.
“I’m disappointed, extremely disappointed,” said Christopher Mangena. “Because I really thought it would come down here, given the infrastructure that Dallas has.”
During a live broadcast on Sunday afternoon, FIFA, soccer’s international governing body, unveiled the complete schedule for the 2026 World Cup.
Arlington’s AT&T Stadium was selected to host nine World Cup matches, surpassing any other city in the tournament, and was chosen to host a semifinal game.
However, the World Cup Final was designated to be held at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, leaving some fans in the DFW area with mixed feelings.
“A lot. There are so many rabid fans in the Dallas area. I’m sure they will all be sold out,” said Mesha Malupi. “The only disappointment is about the Final.”
The announcement caught fans at The Londoner pub in Addison by surprise.
This was unexpected, especially considering the British tabloid The Sun reported last month that the Final would be played at AT&T Stadium.
“We’re disappointed the final won’t be here. Definitely; I think there’d been a lot of talks that it would be,” said Siobhan Hartley, assistant manager at The Londoner. “But it’s just great for Dallas that we’re going to have so many games here, that really is exciting.”
While some fans may have felt deflated, businesses in the DFW soccer scene told NBC5 they were eagerly anticipating nine World Cup crowds.
The Londoner pub mentioned that historically, they’ve witnessed increased business on days when high-profile soccer matches have come to AT&T Stadium.
They’ve already begun planning how to accommodate the hundreds of thousands of fans expected to converge on DFW to partake in the sport’s grandest stage.
“Get a lot of beer in. Think about lots of easy food items to be able to have,” Hartley said. “And just really plan accordingly, making sure that we advertise on Facebook and social media platforms so people know what time to get here.”
