Texas expects that FIFA World Cup games in Dallas and Houston this summer could generate some $3.5 billion in economic impact for the state.
The world’s most-watched sporting event, the 2026 World Cup, is bigger than ever with 104 games featuring 48 national soccer teams playing across 16 host cities in Canada, Mexico, and the United States.
AT&T Stadium in Arlington and NRG Stadium in Houston will combine to host 16 games in June and July, with nine games in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, including a semi-final, and seven games in Houston.
Other host cities include Toronto and Vancouver in Canada; Guadalajara, Mexico City, and Monterey in Mexico; Atlanta, Boston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Seattle, and the San Francisco Bay Area in the U.S.
As Ryan Walsh of the Harris County-Houston Sports Authority put it, “one Super Bowl has about a $350 million impact. This is seven Super Bowls over 39 days. An estimated $1.5 billion in economic impact for Houston.”
Make that nine more Super Bowls for the DFW area, with Dallas Sports Commission Executive Director Monica Paul estimating a $2 billion economic impact for the Metroplex.
In addition, Austin will serve as a training location for the Saudi Arabia team, and San Antonio is also in the running to be a training location.
Some are estimating that as many as 4 million visitors from around the world will visit Texas during the World Cup celebration. Both Dallas (Fair Park) and Houston (EaDo) will host FIFA Fan Festivals that will run for more than a month.
“The fan festival, in particular, is going [to] be a place where we will have that taste of Texas in the food and beverages,” Noelle LeVeaux, North Texas FIFA World Cup Organizing Committee Chief Marketing Officer, told KERA News. “There will be some opportunities for the taste of some of the foods of the nations that are going to be here as well. So there is definitely that cultural exchange that will be happening, and we're trying to ensure that North Texans are ready for that global experience.”
The Dallas-Fort Worth area will host nine matches, including four knockout games, culminating in a semi-final on July 14, 2026, at AT&T Stadium (renamed Dallas Stadium for the World Cup due to sponsorship rules).
The 94,000-seat stadium, home to the Dallas Cowboys, will see action from teams including the Netherlands, Japan, England, Croatia, Argentina, Austria, and Jordan.
The area will also be a key training hub with FIFA-approved base camps at Dallas Baptist University, Toyota Stadium in Frisco, University of Dallas, Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, University of North Texas in Denton, and Mansfield Multipurpose Stadium.
Economic research reports forecast the following impact:
“DFW is excited to host the World Cup again, as it did back in 1994. The potential profound impacts on the economy and community have the spirited soccer community eagerly anticipating 2026,” wrote Faizah Fatima for the World Affairs Council Dallas and Fort Worth.
Houston will welcome soccer fans from Germany, Curacao, Portugal, the Netherlands, Uzbekistan, Cabo Verde, and Saudi Arabia for seven matches at NRG Stadium, which seats 72,000 fans.
The Greater Houston Partnership is excited that among those teams playing in the Bayou City are some of the area’s top international trading partners, such as Germany, the Netherlands, and Portugal.
“Strong trade, business investment and cultural ties have linked these markets for years, and the World Cup provides a unique opportunity to deepen those relationships while showcasing Houston as a global hub for business, travel and international collaboration,” says the economic development group.
Economic impact for Houston is forecasted at:
Houston could also host one or two national teams for training at Houston Sports Park.
Officials estimate that the economic boost will not be limited to downtown or EaDo.
“It’s the [park and rides], it’s Metro, it’s the rental cars, hotel, you name it, it’s everything,” Walsh told KPRC. “You’ve got EaDo, you’ve got NRG Park, you’ve got the Galleria, the airports and surrounding communities like Sugar Land that are going to be impacted in a good way.”
Germany, Curacao, Portugal, the Netherlands, Uzbekistan, Cabo Verde, and Saudi Arabia …
· June 14: Group E First Stage – Germany vs. Curacao, noon.
· June 17: Group K First Stage – Portugal vs. TBD (New Caledonia/Jamaica/DR Congo playoff winner), noon.
· June 20: Group F First Stage – Netherlands vs. TBD (Ukraine/Sweden/Poland/Albania playoff winner), noon.
· June 23: Group K First Stage – Portugal vs. Uzbekistan, noon.
· June 26: Group H First Stage – Cape Verde vs. Saudi Arabia, 7 p.m.
· June 29: Round of 32 at noon.
· July 4: Round of 16 at noon.
Since the tournament runs for more than a month, there will be plenty of time for visitors to check out the sights across Texas, from The Alamo to Space Center Houston to the Fort Worth Stockyards. From Dallas to Houston to Austin and beyond, Texas is ready to welcome the world and the World Cup this summer.