We are now just 19 months away from the world’s largest sporting event, which will take place in North Texas.
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While the nine planned games at AT&T Stadium for the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup, including a semifinal, are expected to draw 100,000 fans for each game, more DFW cities could help support the 39-day event.
In what FIFA calls “team base camps” locations are tied together by a soccer training venue and a partner hotel.
Right now, 49 potential locations in the U.S. and Mexico are vying for an opportunity to host one of 48 competing teams with DFW holding the most with five.
The University of North Texas learned recently it is the latest possible “base camp” location to be paired with a hotel at the Denton Convention Center.
Dallas Baptist University is another location paired with the Westin in downtown Dallas.
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In Irving, The University of Dallas is partnered with Omni Las Colinas.
Toyota Stadium, home to FC Dallas in Major League Soccer, is another potential base camp venue paired with the nearby Renaissance Hotel in Legacy West in Plano.
Fort Worth is the fifth FIFA base camp city in the region with TCU being paired up with the Sheraton Hotel downtown.
Richard Alm with SMU Cox School of Business says while the economic impact of “base camps” will be smaller and more targeted, compared to AT&T Stadium games, it’s a chance for a variety of DFW cities to have a role hosting teams.
“I think one of the things about these Base Camp ideas is that it is going to be much more intimate than say the big game sitting with all those people,” Alm said.
Garrett Horvath with the Fort Worth chapter of American Outlaws, a fan-based supporter group of men’s, women’s and youth national soccer teams, says the excitement around hosting teams, in addition to games, is palpable.
“I think having base camps is exciting because it builds the excitement for the actual tournament and actual games,” Horvath said. “You get to go see how the sausage is made, if you will, and see these teams train, see what they’re doing, see who the key players are.”
FIFA issued its first brochure earlier this summer which included four North Texas locations.
In October, officials in McKinney told NBC 5 they received correspondence from FIFA about adding the Collin County seat as a potential base camp location, dependent on the city creating a soccer-ready facility.
Additional team base camp locations are expected to be added during 2025 before teams make their final selection of where they’ll stay in the U.S. in early 2026.
Games for the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup begin in June.
