To the rest of the world, Arlington's AT&T Stadium will be known as Dallas Stadium during the month-long 2026 World Cup.
FIFA announced on Sunday that Dallas will host nine matches during the 2026 World Cup, including five group stage matches, three knockout matches and a semi-final, the most of the three host nations. It's a city.
World Cup-related events are expected to be held across North Texas, but nine World Cup games will be played at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, home of the Dallas Cowboys.
The news release included a line stating that Arlington's AT&T Stadium will be renamed Dallas Stadium during the World Cup to comply with FIFA's policy of not allowing corporate sponsorship at competition venues. Dallas 26, a potential World Cup venue, is named after the region's largest city, and the venue will follow suit.
For Arlington Mayor Jim Ross, the decision to use the Dallas name instead of Arlington in marketing the game made sense, and he said Sunday he was fine with it.
“Dallas is the largest city in North Texas. It makes logical sense to call this the Dallas World Cup. It doesn't confuse me, it doesn't bother me. I don't care. '' Ross said. “They're playing in Arlington, but they're staying and practicing all over North Texas, so we're all going to benefit from that, and that's fine.”
Ross added that this is not just an effort by Arlington leaders, but a region-wide effort to work on and secure a World Cup bid, and that many North Texas cities would benefit from hosting the World Cup in Arlington. Ta.
“Here in North Texas, we have the best community in the country. With those nine games, FIFA and the world will understand why we were able to win more games than anyone else. No one could have done this.” [sic] Alone,” Ross said.
Mr. Ross particularly praised Monica Paul and her team at the Dallas Sports Commission for how hard they worked to bring the region's World Cup bid to fruition.
“This was a great community effort. I want to thank all of my colleagues and everything the community has put into this. Because in North Texas, we've become more cohesive and we won nine games. I think what we were able to do is proof of that,” Ross said.
The stadium name change will take place elsewhere. MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, which will host the World Cup final, will be renamed New York-New Jersey Stadium.
The 2026 World Cup will begin on June 11, 2026 in Mexico City, Mexico. The first game in Arlington will be held on Sunday, June 14, 2026. Want to get tickets? First you need to register your interest. Registration can be done through this link.