North Texas reflects on 2026 World Cup success, looks ahead to future major event bids
Leaders to use World Cup success for future planning
By most accounts, the World Cup was a huge success in North Texas. Now, members of the host committee are looking at the things that worked well and considering plans for future big sporting events.
DALLAS - Following a month of hosting the 2026 FIFA World Cup, North Texas leaders are celebrating the region's execution of the event and looking toward securing future major international bids.
World Cup in Dallas
What we know:
North Texas served as a key location for the tournament, hosting nine matches over 31 days.
FIFA announced this week that more than 630,000 fans attended the region's nine matches, while millions more visited the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex during the tournament.
Ahead of the tournament, transportation and public safety were top concerns for organizers. Despite those initial concerns, transit operations ran smoothly, and local police departments in Arlington and Dallas reported only a handful of arrests with no major crime incidents.
Initial projections estimated a $2 billion economic impact for the local region. While final cost-benefit analyses are still being calculated, leaders say early indicators show the tournament was a massive success.
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What they're saying:
Monica Paul, leader of the Dallas Sports Commission, rated the overall execution of the event exceptionally high.
"Scale of 1 to 10, I gotta go with like a 15," Paul said. "Just to know what has taken place over the last nine years with the bid phase, we were reliving it earlier today. With the execution, I don't think I could have dreamed of a better ending from a World Cup standpoint."
Addressing concerns about public transportation routing through spots like CentrePort Station, Paul noted that initial worries about parking fees and transit numbers were put to rest.
"It was one of the things I was most nervous about, even the week leading into our first match. Do we have these numbers right? Parking, we heard a lot about parking and the cost of parking. We thought maybe our ridership numbers are off." Paul said. "Everything went seamlessly. I think yes, this is something as we host additional major events, this seemed to work flawlessly, so let's continue to use it."
Future Bids
What's next:
With the men's World Cup wrapped up, local organizers are turning their attention toward data collection to refine plans for future bids.
Paul noted that the host committee plans to analyze numbers, data, and after-action reports to develop and evolve operational strategies for potential future events.
Target events on the region's radar include the 2031 FIFA Women's World Cup, the Super Bowl, the NBA All-Star Game, the WNBA All-Star Game, and the College Football Playoff National Championship.
Controversy
Artist sues after Dallas mural painted over for World Cup
The artist who painted the famous whale mural in Downtown Dallas is now taking legal action against FIFA.
The backstory:
The tournament was not completely without controversy.
Downtown Dallas saw an issue surrounding the Wyland Whale mural, which was covered with the intention of being replaced by a World Cup-themed mural. However, due to a lawsuit, the new mural was never painted, leaving the wall painted blue with only small portions of the original artwork visible.
When asked about an update on the building's mural status, Paul stated she could not comment on the situation because it remains an active legal matter.
The Source: The information in this article comes from an interview with Monica Paul of the Dallas Sports Commission, statements from FIFA, the North Texas Host Committee, and the Dallas and Arlington police departments.