When the World Cup came to the United States in 1994, it left behind Major League Soccer as its legacy.
Now the league has 30 teams, including FC Dallas in Frisco.
Next year, FIFA organizers say they hope the impact of the tournament will be just as powerful, but on a more local level.
Monica Paul, executive director of the Dallas Sports Commission, said she hopes the legacy of the 2026 FIFA World Cup will give new opportunities for underserved communities to enjoy soccer.
She wants to see equipment, education and increased nonprofit interest in getting soccer opportunities to children in underserved communities.
Travel bans from the Trump administration have created concerns that fans from some countries won't be able to attend. Iran, which has already qualified for the World Cup, is on the list of countries with travel bans.
When asked what is being done to plan for the possible impact of travel bans, Paul said the FIFA government relations is in contact with the White House about the travel restrictions.
She did not provide answers on what impact the travel bans might have on fans and couldn't say whether U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers would be involved in security as they are at the FIFA Club World Cup.
Earlier in the day, Mexican Consul Francisco de la Torre told KERA News it's still too soon to see how immigration policy might impact the ability of Mexican fans to attend World Cup matches in Dallas.
He did say the region should expect plenty of Mexican soccer fans coming to celebrate the tournament, whether Mexico plays any games in Arlington or not.
Paul said the name of the stadium has been set as Dallas Stadium, but that she and others working with FIFA have asked them to add Arlington to the name. They're still waiting on a response.
The event is expected to bring an estimated economic impact of $2 billion to North Texas, not including things like facility improvements, new programs and equipment that will stay behind after the World Cup is over.
Paul had told Arlington City Council that she expects the region to meet deadlines for final preparations.
That includes projects like finalizing transportation offerings, prepping public safety, developing marketing for the city and putting real grass in at AT&T Stadium (which will have to be renamed for the tournament).
Economic impact
Arlington is slated to host nine matches, the most of any city. Pairing that with a 39-day fan festival, hosting the International Broadcast Center in Dallas and welcoming teams to base camps in the area are expected to generate a lot of tax money Arlington hopes to capture.
It also comes with bigger costs than the city or region are used to. Arlington has hosted the World Series, MLB All-Star Games, the Super Bowl and countless concerts and events in the entertainment district.
None of it comes close to the scale of the World Cup.
Deputy City Manager Jennifer Wichmann has told the council several times that the World Cup will bring in more people for a longer time than anything the city has experienced before with other events.
That means the economic impact comes with other issues that need to be addressed, like transportation, sanitation, disruptions to local businesses and public safety. Many of those details are still in the works — like how the city will handle potential increased trash because of the number of people visiting the city.
Those will all come with costs, though estimates and plans for who will pay which costs haven't yet been released.
Traffic and transit
The city has been preparing for the World Cup (and the Arlington Grand Prix coming to the city earlier next year) for a while now.
Things like AI traffic sensors in the Arlington Entertainment District, upgraded pedestrian traffic control, street upgrades and sidewalk improvements are either underway or already finished.
Larger transportation plans are still in development. Arlington doesn't have any traditional public transit options like buses or light rails, instead offering the subsidized rideshare service, Via.
Arlington leaders have been working with FIFA, DART and Trinity Metro to identify routes from hotels, airports, stadiums, base camps, training facilities and other destinations.
The current plan is to have DART and Trinity Metro transport visitors to Centreport Station, where they can then take a Via to the entertainment district.
Those plans were in doubt for a while when the Texas legislature was considering a bill to slash DART funding, a fate avoided when the bill failed to make it out of committee.
Parking isn't expected to be an issue when considering lots for the Texas Rangers and local entertainment district businesses. FIFA will be in charge of some parking, including VIP parking close to the stadium.
Public safety and human rights
Some public safety plans are already in place.
The city will bring in law enforcement, police K-9s, public safety inspectors and other support from nearby city, if needed. Both Arlington and FIFA are also working with the Department of Homeland Security for public safety, officials said.
Arlington police are used to working security at events in the entertainment district, and while the scope of those events pales in comparison to the World Cup police will be able to use previous plans as a blueprint.
Those safety plans will also have to take into account concerns about human trafficking and human rights, something both FIFA and the city want addressed.
Paul, the Dallas Sports Commission director, said a committee of 300 stakeholders has met multiple times to discuss potential human rights concerns and ways to address them. Not just human trafficking but labor rights, LGBTQ+ rights, caring for unhoused populations and knowing the companies working with the World Cup.
Arlington Mayor Jim Ross expressed concern in April that efforts to protect human rights could face opposition from President Donald Trump's administration.
"Human rights is a big issue for FIFA and some of that runs contrary to our new administration. It just does," Ross said. "And I'm concerned about how that's going to interplay on an international level. Are we experiencing any of that yet?"
Paul told him at that April city council meeting that the Dallas Sports Commission is working with FIFA to process visas and ensure everything is in order to prevent any problems with fans getting through immigration.
A final plan for human rights protections is due in August.
Marketing the city
FIFA needs no help marketing the World Cup to soccer fans across the globe. The tournament reliably draws some of the largest crowds of any event in the world, whether it is a sporting event or not.
But Arlington wants to make sure residents and businesses are ready for the tournament.
Wichmann, the deputy city manager, told the city council that Arlington has plans for a marketing campaign.
"There are a lot of objectives to the campaign," Wichmann told the council Tuesday. "We want to enhance Arlington's global profile, boost the economy, foster community pride, really create a memorable experience for our visitors and then also keep our Arlington residents informed."
The World Cup also presents opportunities for Arlington to establish a global reputation for itself, something Wichmann said the city shouldn't squander. It could go beyond making sure people know Arlington is the city hosting the most games into drawing international visitors back to the city for other attractions and creating an internationally recognized profile.
Wichmann also wants the advertising to promote a sense of community pride for residents and business owners.
The advertising will serve practical purposes, too.
Transportation will be one big area, with advertisements and messaging making sure visitors and residents both know what their transportation options are and how to utilize them.
The advertising could also encourage visitors to stay at hotels in Arlington, shop at Arlington businesses and buy tickets to matches hosted in the city – all things that could help rake in tax money.
Advertising will also help keep Arlington residents in the know about events and their impacts on Arlington residents, as well as provide support to local businesses.
Mexican fans and Ambassador Row
De la Torre said it's no secret that Mexicans love soccer. While Mexico has three host cities — Mexico City, Monterrey and Guadalajara — he said everyone should still expect visitors to make their way north to Dallas.
It won't matter if the Mexican team even plays here, he said. They'll come just for the love of the game.
"For Mexico and Mexicans, we breathe soccer, we love soccer and we feel Texas is very near home, so I'm sure absolutely that we will have many Mexicans here," he told KERA News.
He estimates that 10% of all fans at World Cup matches in Arlington will be Mexican citizens.
"Number one, Texas is a big destination for Mexican tourism," De la Torre said. "Second, we have a lot of Mexicans living here. Third, we love soccer. If you put all of those into a cocktail mixer what you have is a lot of Mexicans will visit for the World Cup, especially Dallas."
That comes with some preparation, though, according to De la Torre.
He said his office is working to make sure Mexicans know what they'll need to come to the game. Passports (carry a copy with you wherever you go), a place to stay already lined up, enough money to last the duration of the trip and plans to get home when the trip is over.
Fans coming from Mexico should also know they can contact the consulate's office if they run into any legal trouble, De la Torre told KERA. He said visitors should be aware of American laws and abide by them, but they can and should contact his office if they face legal troubles, no matter what kind.
"We have a huge responsibility ensuring them a great experience and being there in case they need the Mexican consulate," De la Torre said.
His office, and diplomats from other countries around the world, are looking to set up temporary shop in Arlington during the tournament at what the city has dubbed "Ambassador Row."
Wichmann said the city is looking to secure space at Spark, a coworking space in Choctaw Stadium. It'll be a place for foreign governments to set up temporary consulates, something that could be important to visitors who have questions or need help with a lost passport or visa problems, as well as providing aid to foreign nationals.
Wichmann told KERA News some countries sending representation to Ambassador Row will be bringing passport printers and could help their citizens with issues involving visas and other immigration issues.
For De la Torre, it's also important for folks to remember that Mexican immigrants play vital roles in making the World Cup happen in North Texas. Not just in Arlington, but in the way both residents and visitors interact with North Texas during the tournament.
"Many, many things that will happen at the World Cup will happen because of the workers in the Metroplex, and those workers in the Metroplex are immigrants," he told KERA News. "If the World Cup is going to flow smoothly, it's going to happen because of a lot of people get involved and many of them are Mexican immigrants working in the Metroplex."
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