Defending Champion Argentina, England Among Clubs Headed to North Texas for FIFA World Cup
Dallas-Fort Worth will be front and center for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with nine matches scheduled at Arlington’s “Dallas Stadium” (the name for AT&T Stadium used for the Cup), including a semifinal, between June 14 and July 14. Among the teams set to play in the region are defending champion Argentina, England, the Netherlands, Japan and Croatia.
In addition to hosting several high-profile matches locally, Texas Christian University has been named one of four potential FIFA Team Base Camp sites in North Texas. As a base camp, TCU would provide national teams with training facilities and easy access to their match venue and lodging. The university’s state-of-the-art athletic resources, including the brand new TCU Athletics Human Performance Center, make it a premier preparation hub.
“TCU is proud to be selected as an official 2026 FIFA World Cup base camp,” said Mike Buddie, director of intercollegiate athletics. “We’ll learn early next year which nation will train on our campus, but every team in Friday’s draw recognizes the value of a high-performance environment built for global competition. Our world-class facilities — the same ones that propelled our women’s soccer program to the College Cup — reflect the university’s commitment to excellence. We’re preparing now to deliver an exceptional experience, and our Horned Frog community is ready to welcome whichever nation calls TCU home this summer.”
The 2026 tournament will be the first World Cup hosted across three countries — the U.S., Canada and Mexico — and will feature an expanded roster of 48 teams playing at 16 stadiums. TCU’s selection as a potential base camp underscores Fort Worth’s growing reputation as a sports destination and the university’s expanding international presence.
The tournament draw Dec. 5 in Washington, D.C. divided the teams into 12 groups, setting the stage for a slate of star-powered matchups in North Texas, including at least two with 2022 World Cup Golden Ball Winner Lionel Messi taking the pitch:
- June 14: Netherlands vs. Japan (Group F)
- June 17: England vs. Croatia (Group L)
- June 22: Argentina vs. Austria (Group J)
- June 25: Japan vs. Ukraine/Sweden/Poland/Albania (Group F)
- June 27: Argentina vs. Jordan (Group J)
- June 30: Round of 32
- July 3: Round of 32
- July 6: Round of 16
- July 14: Semifinal
“It’s an exciting platform for TCU to once again showcase all the great things we offer as an institution and especially for our brand, knowing that we’re going to have media members and elite athletes from across the world walking the campus the same way our students do and also using the same facilities as our student-athletes,” Ryan Peck, senior deputy athletics director for external affairs and revenue generation, said.
Sonny Dykes, TCU head football coach, shared his thoughts with play-by-play announcer Mark Followill when he took the stage during a packed draw party watch event at Billy Bob’s Texas in Fort Worth.
“We’re very hopeful that TCU will get to host some of these fantastic teams with our facilities and just really, really incredibly excited about this event,” said Dykes, who noted he could relate to international managers’ anticipation of their tournament destiny, as the 8-4 TCU Football’s bowl destination was about 48 hours from being revealed.
With the Aer Lingus College Football Classic, in which TCU will compete next August in Dublin, Ireland, serving as an example, the economic impact of an international sporting event of this scale is immense. FIFA is expecting 6 billion people to tune in across the tournament’s 104 matches. “A World Cup is 104 Super Bowls in one month,” FIFA president Gianni Infantino said during an interview with FOX Sports this past spring. Millions of fans will funnel to the Metroplex this summer, too. Dallas Stadium’s nine matches are more than any other venue.
“We thought we needed to lean into the spirit of Fort Worth that we’re known for,” said Mayor Mattie Parker to a cheering Billy Bob’s crowd as she unfurled a lime green, World Cup-themed “Howdy” scarf designed by the Visit Fort Worth creative team. “So, ‘Howdy y’all,’ to everybody that comes from all over the world, that will be here for the 2026 World Cup. And remember that we want them to experience Fort Worth in its true fashion, and all of your branding here across North Texas is going to be individual. We want Fort Worth to stand out.”
Whichever team ultimately trains at TCU will find a campus ranked the nation’s fourth-most beautiful that is supported by the fifth-best athletic facilities in the country, according to The Princeton Review’s 2026 rankings.
“It’s just another moment where you feel the excitement and the impact of this worldwide event. And so being in the proximity of a host city is going to be special as it builds toward this summer,” Peck said. “It’s another exciting moment for all of us to showcase our university and make sure people from around the world see a little purple mixed in with all the red, white and blue and other countries as they compete for a World Cup.”
