ARLINGTON, Texas — For the third time in the past two years, Dallas Cowboys' AT&T Stadium has been reported to be the 2026 World Cup Final venue.
The first two reports came courtesy of ESPN Deportes in September 2022 and August 2023. Now, the Sun is reporting AT&T Stadium beat out New York’s MetLife Stadium in the two-horse race to host the biggest single sporting event in the world.
According to the Sun, "tournament chiefs will confirm more details about the first 48-team World Cup next month following a meeting in London this week."
FIFA posted on its website that the match schedule announcement will come on Feb. 4. It will be aired starting at 2 p.m. CST on FOX and Telemundo in the U.S. FIFA’s digital and social platforms, which include FIFA+, will also provide extensive coverage of the event for fans around the world.
Several social media aggregators with large followings spread the news, citing the Sun's Martin Lipton.
Thursday afternoon WFAA reached out to the Dallas Sports Commission for a comment on the highly anticipated news.
“We remain optimistic about our chances of hosting the FIFA World Cup 26™ Final. We continue to work with FIFA leadership to lay the groundwork as we prepare to host the largest FIFA World Cup™ to date and are eager, like the other host cities, to find out what matches will be assigned to us," said Executive Director Monica Paul.
In September 2023, on the heels of the second ESPN Deportes reports, FIFA President Gianni Infantino was in attendance at a Dallas Cowboys game. He was shown on the jumbotron during the game.
Then, earlier this month, Jerry Jones was asked by 105.3 The Fan about the prospect of hosting the World Cup Final.
“We’re on that by the minute, if there’s such a thing,” Jones said at the time. “Certainly by the hour, by the day, by the week or by the month. We’re working as hard as we can to give our best presentation of why it ought to be here.”
"This is, as far as the world is concerned, this area that we’re in Dallas, Texas, this is our country, in my mind. This is the vibrant part of the country, this is where young people in this country and progressive people are aspiring to build their lives and careers. So if you want a good shot of what it’s like to have a North American flavor to a sporting event, we’ve got the ideal place in the country right here in Dallas, Texas,” Jones added.
Jones' comments on 105.3 The Fan came nearly two months after FIFA executives made another site visit to Jerry World, as the Dallas Sports Commission gave another last-ditch effort to secure the coveted match. The group checked on setups for security, concessions and hospitality, and media. They also analyzed the Dallas Cowboys' progress redesigning the stadium's playing surface to make room for a larger, natural grass pitch.
WFAA previously reported that AT&T Stadium officials plan to raise the playing surface 15 feet in order to meet FIFA's dimension requirements. In August, the Dallas Business Journal reported AT&T Stadium was expected to get part of its $295 million worth of anticipated renovations underway this month.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be the largest one in its history, expanding 48 nations and 104 games. The World Cup Final will take place on July 19, 2026.
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