The FIFA World Cup Is Coming to Texas

Football has always been part and parcel to Texas. From mastering tailgating to stoking college rivalries, the Lone Star State has always been football country — at least in the American sense. This summer, Texas will become fútbol country in the world’s language when it hosts 16 matches during the FIFA World Cup 2026.

Starting in June, the I-45 corridor between Dallas and Houston will transform into a 250-mile-long World Cup party. In North Texas, Arlington’s AT&T Stadium will host a tournament-high nine matches. On the Gulf, Houston’s NRG Stadium will host seven more.

For Texas, it’s a once-in-a-generation chance to welcome the world, showcase its cities, and cash in on an economic windfall measured in the billions of dollars.

From Uruguay to Texas

There’s much global ado about the FIFA World Cup, but it didn’t start out that way. The first tournament was held in 1930 between a mere 13 teams in Uruguay. What was really nothing more than an experimental tournament evolved into an epic, international affair every four years. Qualifying rounds expanded to include more than 200 national teams, with 32 finalists taking the global stage every year from 1998 to 2022.

The World Cup has produced some of sport’s most enduring images. Teenager Pelé’s semifinal hat trick with Brazil in 1958. Diego Maradona’s “Goal of the Century” in 1986. David Beckham’s laser-aimed free kicks. Lionel Messi kissing Argentina’s first World Cup trophy in 36 years.

In the audience during these legendary moments? The entire world. The final match between Argentina and France in Qatar during the 2022 World Cup captured the attention of 1.5 billion viewers, making it the most-watched event not just in soccer but in all of sports history. Big, sure, but the 2026 edition — tri-hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada — promises to be bigger still. For the first time, a record 48 teams will compete in 104 matches, creating a packed calendar that runs from the June 11 opener in Mexico City to the July 19 final in New Jersey.

And between those 39 days and three countries, nowhere will more time and attention be spent on World Cup soccer than here in Texas.

2026 Matches in Texas

NRG Stadium, Houston
NRG Stadium, home to the Houston Texans and known for its retractable roof, will be renamed “Houston Stadium” in June to host seven World Cup matches.

Schedule

Group Stage Matches:

• 6/14 Germany vs. Curaçao
• 6/17 Portugal vs. Congo
• DR/Jamaica/New Caledonia
• 6/20 Netherlands vs. Albania/Poland/ Sweden/Ukraine
• 6/23 Portugal vs. Uzbekistan
• 6/26 Cabo Verde vs. Saudi Arabia

Knockout Stage Matches:

• 6/29 Round of 32 match
• 7/4 Round of 16 match

AT&T Stadium, Arlington
Located halfway between Dallas and Fort Worth, AT&T Stadium in Arlington is home to the Dallas Cowboys and the host of the Cotton Bowl Classic, the Big 12 Championship Game, and the Southwest Classic. The arena, temporarily rebranded as “Dallas Stadium” under FIFA’s clean-venue rules, will host nine World Cup matches — more than any other venue this year.

Schedule

Group Stage Matches:

• 6/14 Netherlands vs. Japan
• 6/17 England vs. Croatia
• 6/22 Argentina vs. Austria
• 6/25 Japan vs. Albania/ Poland/Sweden/ Ukraine
• 6/27 Jordan vs. Argentina

Knockout Stage Matches:

• 6/30 Round of 32 match
• 7/3 Round of 32 match
• 7/6 Round of 16 match
• 7/14 Semifinal match

Getting in on the Action

FIFA makes tickets for games available for purchase through a round of lottery drawings, which ended in January. Now fans need to go through the ticket resale markets, which can be pricey. In early December 2025, when FIFA released the 2026 schedule and revealed Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal would play in Houston twice, ticket resale prices for those matches skyrocketed to more than $11,000. Something similar happened with Argentina’s games in Arlington, with Messi fans pushing resale ticket prices well past their original value.

However, if you don’t plan to set foot inside a stadium, Texas’ host cities are making it easy to join in the World Cup festivities all summer. FIFA’s official Fan Festival is taking over East Downtown Houston, where attractions and restaurants will publicly stream matches, host international food fairs, have live entertainment, and even designate areas for children to play soccer matches of their own.

Meanwhile, the FIFA Fan Festival in North Texas is popping up in Fair Park, site of the annual State Fair of Texas. Expect tens of thousands of fans daily throughout the World Cup.

When the World Cup Comes to Town

Beneath the star-studded spectacle of breathtaking goals and heartbreaking eliminations, an economic story is percolating in Texas at an equally grand scale. When the FIFA World Cup comes to town, tourism, hospitality spending, and infrastructure investment follow.

Projections indicate that the nine matches in North Texas will bring an estimated $2 billion in total economic impact to the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Houston is estimated to reap more than $1.5 billion from its seven games. As a measure, a single Super Bowl generates about $350 million in economic impact for the host city. The World Cup is roughly equivalent to four Super Bowls in Houston and six in Dallas.

Tourism is already a massive industry in Texas, and the World Cup will only be an accelerant. As millions of visitors from around the world are expected to flow through both Houston and DFW during the tournament, hotels, restaurants, airports, and other businesses are rapidly planning to accommodate the influx and capitalize on the gargantuan opportunity.

Mere months out, there are huge amounts of groundwork still to be laid. But Texas is all about taking big things and making them bigger — the World Cup’s just another occasion to outdo ourselves.

Tailgating is big business in Texas. Review our guide for the full rundown of how to do it right.