FIFA monitoring stadium upgrades in Dallas-Fort Worth for 2026 World Cup
Why it matters: Our region's reputation is on the line.
The latest: FC Dallas president Dan Hunt shared everything organizers must finish to be ready.
"The shot clock is on … it's going to go really fast now," he said during a transportation summit Thursday in Hurst. Hunt is a co-chair of the North Texas FIFA World Cup Organizing Committee.
The big picture: North Texas will host nine matches, the most of any city.
The region will have to arrange for security, transportation and lodging for athletes and spectators traveling to the region.
700,000 tickets will be sold for the nine matches at AT&T Stadium, Hunt said.
What they're doing: Organizers will have to ensure the stadium meets FIFA's requirements for World Cup venues, including having real grass.
They plan to remove the stadium's artificial grass, raise the field and create a new platform on it with sod, sand and soil.
The task will require using grow lights and preparing backup fields in case more grass is needed, Hunt said.
FC Dallas is renovating Toyota Stadium in Frisco for use as a base camp during the 2026 World Cup.
The intrigue: The North Texas FIFA committee has also been helping the World Cup's European organizers understand Texans and their love of tailgating.
Between the lines: Organizers in North Texas haven't said much about how they will get athletes, journalists, fans and workers to and from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, a suburban city without mass transit.
The tournament's international broadcast center is in downtown Dallas and the fan festival will be at Fair Park. Teams could be stationed as far away as Denton.
What they're saying: "My message to FIFA has been very simple: We're going to show you that you made a mistake not picking North Texas for the final," Hunt said.
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