FIFA monitoring stadium upgrades in Dallas-Fort Worth for 2026 World Cup
The 2026 FIFA Men's World Cup is just one year away and organizers feel like they're having a "giant panic attack."
Why it matters: Our region's reputation is on the line.
The latest: FC Dallas president Dan Hunt shared everything organizers must finish to be ready.
"The shot clock is on … it's going to go really fast now," he said during a transportation summit Thursday in Hurst. Hunt is a co-chair of the North Texas FIFA World Cup Organizing Committee.
The big picture: North Texas will host nine matches, the most of any city.
The region will have to arrange for security, transportation and lodging for athletes and spectators traveling to the region.
700,000 tickets will be sold for the nine matches at AT&T Stadium, Hunt said.
What they're doing: Organizers will have to ensure the stadium meets FIFA's requirements for World Cup venues, including having real grass.
They plan to remove the stadium's artificial grass, raise the field and create a new platform on it with sod, sand and soil.
The task will require using grow lights and preparing backup fields in case more grass is needed, Hunt said.
FC Dallas is renovating Toyota Stadium in Frisco for use as a base camp during the 2026 World Cup.
The intrigue: The North Texas FIFA committee has also been helping the World Cup's European organizers understand Texans and their love of tailgating.
Between the lines: Organizers in North Texas haven't said much about how they will get athletes, journalists, fans and workers to and from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, a suburban city without mass transit.
The tournament's international broadcast center is in downtown Dallas and the fan festival will be at Fair Park. Teams could be stationed as far away as Denton.
What they're saying: "My message to FIFA has been very simple: We're going to show you that you made a mistake not picking North Texas for the final," Hunt said.
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FIFA's Gianni Infantino says soccer will be ‘No. 1 sport' in U.S., urges promotion, relegation
NEW YORK — FIFA president Gianni Infantino says soccer has the potential to soon be the 'No. 1 sport here in America,' and that reaching this goal is one of FIFA's top priorities. There are just a few things the sport should consider first, Infantino said, such as exploring the introduction of promotion and relegation in American soccer. Advertisement Infantino made these bold statements in a wide-ranging fireside chat with Fox Sports' Jordan Schultz at Fanatics Fest on Sunday afternoon in New York City, before heading across the Hudson River to catch a Club World Cup match at nearby MetLife Stadium. In 'three to four, maximum five years,' Infantino said, 'it will be top, top, top. One of the top leagues in the world, for sure. And I can tell you why — because now I'm here.' That's a fast timeline based on recent data. 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The current system launched in the 1990s, when, as a condition of being awarded the hosting rights for the men's World Cup in 1994, U.S. Soccer vowed to launch a sustainable first-division league: Major League Soccer. Since its debut season in 1996, MLS has operated as a closed single-entity circuit in which all owners have vested interests in their collective success in tandem rather than each club looking out for its own interests. The approach allowed MLS to succeed where its glitzy predecessor, the NASL, failed, stability and parity, while accepting the league couldn't thrive with haves and have-nots at varying levels of operational success. Like MLS, NASL did not implement relegation. The compromises made in this format are undeniable. 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MLS, Soccer, International Football, NWSL 2025 The Athletic Media Company
New York Times
an hour ago
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FIFA's Gianni Infantino says soccer will be ‘No. 1 sport' in U.S., urges promotion, relegation
NEW YORK — FIFA president Gianni Infantino says soccer has the potential to soon be the 'No. 1 sport here in America,' and that reaching this goal is one of FIFA's top priorities. There are just a few things the sport should consider first, Infantino said, such as exploring the introduction of promotion and relegation in American soccer. Advertisement Infantino made these bold statements in a wide-ranging fireside chat with Fox Sports' Jordan Schultz at Fanatics Fest on Sunday afternoon in New York City, before heading across the Hudson River to catch a Club World Cup match at nearby MetLife Stadium. In 'three to four, maximum five years,' Infantino said, 'it will be top, top, top. One of the top leagues in the world, for sure. And I can tell you why — because now I'm here.' That's a fast timeline based on recent data. A 2025 poll conducted by S&P Global that garnered 2,501 responses found 14 percent of surveyed 'internet adults' watch soccer, the seventh-highest figure behind the traditional 'big four' sports — baseball, basketball, football and hockey — as well as both the Winter and Summer Olympics. Of those who do watch, 76 percent said they watched men's international soccer (World Cup, Olympics), 50 percent watch women's international soccer, and 55 percent already watch MLS. As for in-person gross, Two Circles' annual review of attendance ranks soccer as the fourth most-attended sport at 8 percent of 292 million attendees in 2024. Though that gives it a narrow edge over hockey, itself at 7 percent, soccer significantly trails the share held by baseball (35 percent), basketball (22 percent) and football (20 percent). The other 8 percent includes other sports. Infantino, who lives in Miami, spoke at length about his vision for soccer in America. Aside from suggesting the nixing of the long-criticized 'pay to play' model for youth soccer, which Infantino called 'a problem here in America,' he also hinted that introducing promotion and relegation could help bring more excitement to the sport. His remarks came after Schultz asked Infantino about Wrexham's wild success in recent years, going from the subject of a Netflix series to three straight league promotions. 'This is one of the beauties of promotion and relegation,' Infantino said. 'So, in soccer, unlike any other sport, surprises are happening, and the little one can beat the big one, right? And this rarely, rarely happens in other sports, 90 percent of the time, the stronger one wins. In soccer, it's 70 percent of the time. Advertisement 'You have these surprises. You have these fairy tales of teams. … This is something you can bring in this American culture as well, where you don't have the concept of promotion and relegation, and there's something interesting that I think has to be explored.' A Cinderella story like Wrexham's, as Infantino suggested, is something that in American soccer simply hasn't happened thanks to the absence of promotion and relegation in the men's American soccer landscape. That's something that could soon change, though, with United Soccer League owners in March voting to implement the system into their leagues. Their decision challenges the tradition of Major League Soccer, which has never implemented a relegation system that's common in soccer leagues across the world. Nevertheless, Infantino's remarks show ambition to enact what would be a seismic change to how professional men's soccer has operated in the United States. The current system launched in the 1990s, when, as a condition of being awarded the hosting rights for the men's World Cup in 1994, U.S. Soccer vowed to launch a sustainable first-division league: Major League Soccer. Since its debut season in 1996, MLS has operated as a closed single-entity circuit in which all owners have vested interests in their collective success in tandem rather than each club looking out for its own interests. The approach allowed MLS to succeed where its glitzy predecessor, the NASL, failed, stability and parity, while accepting the league couldn't thrive with haves and have-nots at varying levels of operational success. Like MLS, NASL did not implement relegation. The compromises made in this format are undeniable. Few leagues around the world can match the strictness of MLS' rules and regulations, which limit how teams can spend across their entire roster and force teams to focus their expenditures on only a handful of leading players regardless of their age or pedigree. The devotion to competitive balance also keeps clubs from being able to outspend their rivals to gain an on-field edge, instead having to be crafty and work within a borderline labyrinthine set of roster rules. Advertisement As the sport's popularity has continued to spike over the past decade or more, American and Canadian fans have looked to other leagues beyond their MLS markets and taken interest in the sport's more open structure. A 2016 study by Deloitte of 'over 1,000 U.S. soccer fans,' commissioned by the owner of lower-division club Miami FC, found that 88 percent of domestic respondents 'believe (the) introduction of promotion and relegation would be beneficial for club soccer in the USA.' In that spirit, the USL — which has operated among the United States' lower divisions since 2011 — introduced an audacious aim to bring promotion and relegation to the U.S., announcing earlier this year it hoped to debut a new circuit at a first-division level to make a three-tier open system as soon as 2027. As currently designed, such a venture would not involve MLS, the nation's top league. In a sit-down interview with The Athletic in 2023, MLS commissioner Don Garber left the door open for the league to one day consider adopting a promotion and relegation model. 'I don't see any reason why, at the right time, if we're able to accommodate it as it relates to schedule and players and the ecosystem of MLS, why we couldn't have more teams in the future,' Garber said at the time. 'But this is an example of — life is a long time. We do not need to expand. We expand so that we can build our fan base. 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New York Times
an hour ago
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Canada held by Curacao in frustrating Gold Cup group stage draw
Canada's berth in the Gold Cup quarterfinals will have to wait. After leading for most of the match thanks to a 10th minute Nathan Saliba goal, Canada continued to allow Curacao into their second group stage match. Curacao's Jeremy Antonisse scored in stoppage time, a goal that had been coming as Canada continued to defend poorly late in the game. Curacao, ranked 90th by FIFA, had two goals disallowed beforehand. Advertisement The 1-1 draw was probably a fair result but still highlighted how much better Canada will have to defend in tight matches and how they'll need to take advantage of leads moving forwards. Considering how long Canada was ahead, this result should feel like a letdown for Jesse Marsch's side, which had been in buoyant form. 'We had warnings to tell us to be more careful,' Jonathan David told TSN/OneSoccer postgame. 'It's frustrating to get it done like that. We have to keep moving forward.' Here are The Athletic's takeaways: As of late, Canada has been displaying some of its finest football since Marsch took over: they have lost just one of their last 11 games. And through many of these games Canada have dominated, only increasing their confidence leading up to the 2026 World Cup. Canada's slip against Curacao wasn't so much the other shoe dropping, but it was a reminder of how they'll have to toughen up against stingy opponents. Things got feisty but Curacao kept pressing in their own way, having two goals called back due to offside. Canada couldn't stop the dam from bursting as Curacao scored in the waning moments. Curacao pressed Canada well enough in the first half, making a game of things. Some questionable defending at times from Canada provided Curacao some opportunities. Jurgen Locadio's excellent strike did lead to Curacao goal before it was called back thanks to VAR ruling it offside. Canada's questionable defending on the play is worth noting, though. The match ended as more even than perhaps some might have expected. But the sun and near-oppressive heat in Houston slowed the pace of the play down, making for minimal back-and-forth. Curacao's insistence on fouling Canada in the second half didn't help matters, either. Things turned ugly through a plodding second period. Advertisement Here's the thing though: Marsch and Canada's coaching staff have tried to improve Canada's game management. Marsch wants a still-growing Canada team to learn to stay calm, work the referee and grind out wins when they need to instead of trying to constantly run away with games. Against Curacao, they ticked almost every box above. But it still wasn't enough. They need to continue to learn to lock down games more effectively when they have a lead. Expect Marsch to put his team through the paces in the coming days. The early story of Canada's Gold Cup is how quickly some of their up-and-comers are rising. Niko Sigur had himself a game in Canada's opener and 21-year-old Nathan Saliba was right on his heels. And in his second straight start – and second ever for Canada – Saliba had zero letdown. He commanded the middle of the park with direct runs and smart passes. There's a ton of confidence in Saliba's game right now. A seemingly likely mid-season transfer to Anderlecht in Belgium is undoubtedly filling Saliba with self-belief. And that's part of what Marsch appreciates in his game. That self-belief is evident in how mature Saliba's decisions with the ball are for such a young player. Never was that more evident than in the early stages. Saliba called his Canada teammate Zorhan Bassong away from a ball that had bounced in the air following a free kick. In doing so, Saliba didn't waste a second, craftily smashing a volley into Curacao's goal. Make it two starts and two goals for Saliba wearing a Canada jersey. 'We really believe that he can be an important player for us,' Marsch said of Saliba after his first goal. It's difficult to see Marsch turning away from Saliba in the middle of the park through the remainder of the Gold Cup, or at least until Stephen Eustaquio possibly returns from Club World Cup duty. Big picture, if Saliba continues to rise to the occasion and show enough personal development over the next year, can he lock down a World Cup roster spot? Performances like the one against Curacao make it seem likely. Reminder: Marsch loves developing young players in national team camps. If Saliba's performances remain as solid, it's starting to feel like a World Cup start wouldn't be out of the question, either. Advertisement One of Canada's most up-and-down performers as of late has been Ismael Kone. The midfielder, on the verge of breaking out as a true star at the 2024 Copa America, instead took a step back partly thanks to a failed move to Marseille last summer. Kone struggled to earn playing time. A loan to Rennes followed, but Kone's confidence clearly dipped. The once-silky midfielder offered little for Canada in the process as well. It was worth wondering what Kone would offer in his first start for Canada this tournament: Kone missed early training sessions because of a family matter. Surprisingly, Kone put up the kind of performance that turned back the clock. It was the kind of dynamic showing that could turn Kone's tournament around for the better. Kone separated himself from the likes of Jayden Nelson, Joel Waterman and Tani Oluwaseyi, neither of whom had their best games in attack. In just 70 minutes, Kone finished second among all Canadian players with 55 touches. Kone's strength and swagger spoke volumes. The midfielder was at his silky best, shaking off defenders with ease while moving through the middle. He looked more like an attacking midfielder than a box-to-box player. And Marsch likely wouldn't complain, considering Kone's mid-ranging passing hit the mark, too. Kone created one chance and had five passes into the final third. And so if you're Marsch and you're looking from positive takeaways from a game that sometimes staggered, how could you not feel bolstered by a re-emergence of one of your most talented players? The mental fortitude needed to return from a trying family matter and put in a compelling performance is impressive. If Kone can build off this performance, that would be even more impressive. Canada still sits atop Group B with four points from two matches. Their final group stage game is on Tuesday against El Salvador. A win would see them come out of Group B in first place and earn a date against the second place team from Group C in the quarterfinals. Jamaica and Guatemala sit tied for second in Group C through two matches.
