June 11 will mark one year until the FIFA World Cup officially begins, bringing with it a flood of soccer fans from around the world to the host cities, including Arlington.
Planning has been underway for years, but the pressure is on as the region gets ready for what Arlington leaders have called the biggest event the city has ever hosted.
Dallas Sports Commission Executive Director Monica Paul told the council during a Tuesday work session that the planning is expected to meet deadlines.
The World Cup is projected to bring around $2 billion to North Texas. From public safety and transportation to putting real grass in at AT&T Stadium and marketing the city, leaders are on a deadline for final preparations.
Arlington will host the most matches of the tournament with nine. That paired with a 39-day fan festival, the establishment of an International Broadcast Center and hosting base camps for teams, Arlington is looking to claim a large share of the tax money that spending will offer.
That 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 鈥� like how the city will handle potential increased trash because of the number of people.
Paul said when North Texas made its bid to host the World Cup, they didn't expect the region and Arlington in particular to serve such a big role.
"When we bid on this event starting in 2017, we were anticipating maybe four to five games," Paul to the council. "Now we have nine matches, extensive base camps, the International Broadcast Center. We are really going to be the center of where the World Cup is run."
Deputy City Manager Jennifer Wichmann stressed to the city council Tuesday that all the events and attractions that come with the are unlike anything Arlington has seen.
The city has hosted Super Bowls, Final Fours, MLB All-Star Games and countless concerts and other events, but those are dwarfed in scale and comparison to what Arlington leaders are expecting from the World Cup.
"It's a huge event," Wichmann said. "We've never seen anything like this before so we want to make sure our residents and our businesses are aware and not feeling nervous about it but feeling excited about it and looking forward to this as a really exciting time in Arlington's history."
Public safety and transportation
Public safety plans are already in place, including bringing in police, bomb dogs, public safety inspections and other support from nearby cities, if necessary.
The city and FIFA are also working with the Department of Homeland Security for public safety.
For transportation, Arlington is 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 to transport visitors to Centreport Station, where they can then take rideshare services or Via, the subsidized rideshare company Arlington uses for public transit.
Parking isn鈥檛 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.
Renaming AT&T Stadium
The name of the stadium is still up in the air - AT&T Stadium will have to be temporarily renamed because FIFA prohibits sponsor-named stadiums. Mayor Jim Ross is determined to have Arlington in the stadium鈥檚 name, especially since FIFA has identified Dallas as the host city instead of Arlington.
Since the announcement that AT&T Stadium will be hosting World Cup matches, Dallas has been credited as the host city.
But the name of the stadium is one area where Ross is ready to say 鈥渘o more.鈥�
鈥淲e鈥檙e happy to share it,鈥� Ross said during a council discussion on the stadium鈥檚 name last year. 鈥淲e鈥檙e happy to call it the Arlington-Dallas Stadium.鈥�
Ross said Dallas has done 鈥渁 lot of wonderful things鈥� in preparation for the World Cup but that Arlington must have top billing in the stadium name.
FIFA gets the ultimate say on the name of the stadium, but Paul has said on multiple occasions that she is working to make that happen.
Human rights
Human trafficking and human rights are a major topic not just for Arlington鈥檚 council members but for FIFA and federal elected officials.
Paul told the council that U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz and John Cornyn have both sent letters to FIFA to emphasize the importance of preventing and stopping human trafficking that may happen around the World Cup.
Paul 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.
Ross questioned if FIFA or regional organizers have any concerns about human rights given recent problems with immigration enforcement and visas.
Ross specifically referenced the recent revocation of hundreds of student visas across the country, including 27 at UT Arlington.
He questioned whether actions like that could create friction with FIFA, and what that friction could mean financially.
鈥淗uman rights is a big issue for FIFA and some of that runs contrary to our new administration. It just does,鈥� Ross said. 鈥淎nd I鈥檓 concerned about how that鈥檚 going to interplay on an international level. Are we experiencing any of that yet?鈥�
Paul told him 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.
Getting the word out
While it鈥檚 no secret that the World Cup is coming to Arlington in 2026, Deputy City Manager Jennifer Wichmann said the city still needs to market.
"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."
Arlington will use every communication tool available to reach out to residents and business owners, from traditional mail to social media to outdoor advertising.
A big part of the advertising will be making sure people know the games are in Arlington and creating a profile for the city that鈥檚 recognized internationally. Wichmann also wants the advertising to promote a sense of community pride for residents and business owners.
But 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 鈥� 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.
Wichmann said the city is also looking to create an 鈥淎mbassador Row鈥� that visitors should be aware of during the tournament.
The Ambassador Row would 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.
Spark, a coworking space inside Choctaw Stadium, is currently being looked at as the home for Ambassador Row.
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