Arlington briefs council on World Cup plans: nine matches at AT&T Stadium, expanded base camps, security and legacy programs

Monica (North Texas FIFA World Cup organizing committee) and city staff delivered a regional progress report to the Arlington City Council on April 22 outlining operational planning, safety priorities, transportation strategies and legacy objectives for the 2026 FIFA World Cup matches to be hosted in North Texas.

Organizers said AT&T Stadium in Arlington will host nine matches and that the number of regional base camps increased from five to six with the addition of Mansfield Stadium; exact team assignments for base camps will be known after the FIFA draw, expected in December 2025. Monica said the North Texas region will host the International Broadcast Center and that the organizing committee had the most base camps of any host city/region in the United States.

Safety and security were described as top priorities: organizers said 18 expert planning focus groups are meeting monthly and that FIFA, DHS and other federal partners are engaged. "Safety security, we consider that to be the top priority," Monica said. Transportation planning includes a mobility plan prepared by Kimley-Horn, coordination with Trinity Metro and DART to move fans via rail to CenterPort Station with bus transfers to Arlington, and work to identify escorted team routes from airports to base camps. Organizers said a final mobility plan will be adopted by March 2026.

Organizers described accommodation and demand metrics used for planning: average international visitor stay was cited at about 9.7 days and an estimate that 54% of match visitors to the United States will be international, including non-ticket holders who may attend fan festivals. FIFA has contracted hotel blocks for staff, teams and broadcast partners; the organizing committee is developing a regional booking engine and a North Texas Business Connect portal for local firms to register for FIFA-related procurement opportunities.

Federal funding and legacy planning were discussed. Monica said host cities and the organizing committee are collectively seeking federal support for safety and security; an aggregated request surfaced in congressional correspondence and a post-budget estimate prepared with Deloitte shows a total ask of about $625,000,000 across host cities (not a North Texas-only figure). Human-rights and sustainability working groups are active: organizers reported a human-rights working group with more than 300 stakeholders addressing issues from unsheltered populations to labor and trafficking prevention, and a sustainability working group led by a UT Arlington researcher focusing on tree planting, emissions offsets and food recovery.

City staff outlined Arlington-specific efforts. Jennifer (city staff) summarized entertainment-district improvements under way: sidewalk phases, asphalt mill and overlay on Randall Mill Road, lighting and wayfinding, tree-planting initiatives, and measures to improve sightlines and trail corridors. Jennifer discussed a communications campaign to inform residents and businesses and a proposed Ambassador’s Row — a temporary consular/assistance presence in Arlington to help international visitors and nationals needing embassy-level assistance; constituencies including the Mexican consulate have expressed interest.

The presentation included timelines and outreach: volunteer recruitment is slated to begin Aug. 31, 2025; a "one-year out" series of events begins June 11, 2025; the official FIFA draw in December 2025 will confirm team itineraries. Organizers noted ticketing packages and deposit programs are available and that legacy initiatives — including youth equipment drives and nonprofit partnerships — are being scoped for post-event impact.

Council members asked operational questions about stadium reconfiguration, perimeter security and visa concerns. Monica said stadium field work to provide full grass had been tested during recent events and that reconfiguration work in the stadium corners will be more limited than earlier contemplated; she said visa and federal-approval matters are under active coordination with FIFA and federal partners and that the topic has increased urgency. The session recorded no formal council actions; staff said they will continue to brief council as FIFA guidance and federal coordination evolve.