World Cup: North Texas preps for ’39 days of rush hour’ as federal transportation officials discuss plans
NTX prepares for World Cup transportation rush
In the next few days, soccer fans from around the world will learn where their team will be playing in the 2026 World Cup.
DALLAS - In the next few days, soccer fans from around the world will learn where their team will be playing in the 2026 World Cup.
The tournament is bigger than ever, and so is the demand for transportation. It’s something officials in North Texas and across the country have been preparing for.
How to watch the 2026 World Cup Draw live
The 2026 World Cup Draw on Dec. 5 will finalize the 48-team field and group placements ahead of next summer’s tournament, with 42 teams already qualified and six more to be decided in March.
World Cup Transportation
What we know:
An estimated 6 million people are expected to travel to the United States for the World Cup games next summer.
On Thursday, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said his agency and federal partners have been working on a travel plan for nearly a year. The goal is to get fans to and from 104 games safely.
Duffy said it is the Federal Aviation Administration’s top priority.
"We are clearing the skies, clearing the decks, making sure air travel is going seamless. The FAA is already working on that. The one thing we can’t control is the weather," he said. "We actually bring in additional assets to make sure we can move people seamlessly from the hotels they’re staying to the games, getting them there on time safely."
That means airlines will be adding additional flights to cities hosting World Cup games.
Duffy said increased rail and bus service will be available too.
Dallas FIFA World Cup 2026 security plan targets extreme heat, fan festival crowds
Dallas is preparing to host key World Cup events like the International Broadcast Center and Fan Festival, while public safety officials focus on extreme heat and crowd control challenges ahead of the major 39-day event.
Local perspective:
North Texas is hosting nine of the matches, so Dallas Love Field and DFW Airport both said they have been planning for months.
In a presentation earlier this week, Dallas Area Rapid Transit officials said as the agency plans for the World Cup, it is treating it like 39 days of rush hour traffic or 39 days of a Texas-OU game.
The Source: FOX 4's Alex Boyer gathered information for this story from Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy's news conference on Thursday regarding World Cup transportation, as well as past statements from both North Texas airports and DART.