Dallas officials lay out World Cup 2026 plan, emphasize safety, small‑business access and volunteer recruitment

City officials on Wednesday briefed the Dallas City Council on preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, detailing venues, transportation plans, volunteer recruitment and outreach to small businesses while stressing safety and human‑rights work.

The briefing, led by City Manager Kimberly Beiser Tolbert and Rosa Fleming, director of convention and event services, described plans to support nine matches at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, an International Broadcast Center at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center and a full 39‑day FIFA Fan Fest at Fair Park. “This is an opportunity for our city and our region like none other,” the city manager said during the presentation.

Why it matters: The World Cup will bring a large international audience and material economic activity to the Dallas region, while also stretching public‑safety, transportation and city services. Council members pressed staff on how small and minority‑owned businesses, volunteer opportunities and neighborhoods across the city will be included.

What officials presented

- Matches and venues: Dallas will be part of a multi‑city footprint. Nine matches are scheduled at AT&T Stadium; Cotton Bowl and SMU are listed as training venues for teams playing at AT&T Stadium. The Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center will host the International Broadcast Center, and Fair Park is the planned site for the FIFA Fan Fest, intended to run the full tournament.

- Fan Fest and footprint: The proposed Fan Fest layout is smaller than the full State Fair footprint but is expected to hold roughly 35,000 people at a time and to run all 39 days of the tournament. Organizers plan both free access and paid premium hospitality options and are coordinating safety and access plans with Dallas police.

- International Broadcast Center and media: Monica Paul, executive director of the Dallas Sports Commission (part of Visit Dallas), said the broadcast center will bring thousands of media and broadcast staff to downtown; planners expect roughly 4,500–5,000 people working in the IBC and underscored the center’s importance to attracting commercial partners and global attention.

- Economic impact and timing: Staff cited Deloitte and United Bid Committee estimates and said preliminary regional economic impact projections range from about $1.5 billion to $2.1 billion for the DFW footprint tied to matches, base camps, the broadcast center and related activity. Single‑ticket sales are not expected until late 2025; suites and hospitality packages for AT&T Stadium matches are currently being marketed.

- Transportation and mobility: A draft mobility plan was submitted to FIFA earlier in April; the final mobility plan is due in March 2026. City staff are coordinating with regional partners (NCTCOG, DART, Trinity Metro, TRE and Trinity Railway Express) to plan routes for spectators, teams and VIPs, including match‑day shuttle service to Centerport for transfer to AT&T Stadium.

- Safety and security: Officials said safety planning involves 18 security focus groups and federal/state coordination. Rocky Voss and other security partners will continue to refine staffing and response plans in coordination with Dallas Police, Dallas Fire‑Rescue and federal partners.

- Human rights and sustainability: The host‑city human‑rights plan (required by FIFA) is in development; staff reported more than 100 draft strategies and an ongoing stakeholder engagement process that includes anti‑trafficking, vendor contracting standards and legacy components tied to grant applications.

- Volunteer recruitment and small‑business outreach: Monica Paul said volunteer recruitment is slated to begin Aug. 31. The city and Visit Dallas are promoting an expression‑of‑interest process for local businesses and a North Texas Business Connect portal for MWBE firms. Several council members pressed for targeted outreach to minority‑owned businesses, community media channels and local chambers to ensure inclusion; staff said memos and district briefings will follow as details are finalized.

- Funding and government relations: Staff said they are pursuing multiple funding streams, including the state Major Events reimbursement program, federal homeland security support for event safety and private‑sector commercial partnerships. City staff said they are actively coordinating with the governor’s office and the city’s federal delegation to seek support for security and other costs.

Council questions and follow up

Council members from multiple districts asked for clearer timelines and concrete steps for small‑business outreach, minority business recruitment, inclusive volunteer training, traffic and mobility details, and contingency planning (including sheltering/unsheltered populations and natural‑disaster scenarios). City staff agreed to provide follow‑up memos and to brief relevant council committees and working groups as key deliverables come due.

Quotes from the briefing

“Hosting an event at this scale requires meticulous planning at every single level,” City Manager Kimberly Beiser Tolbert said. “Our goal is very simple: to make the FIFA World Cup 2026 in Dallas the most successful and the safest World Cup ever.”

Monica Paul, executive director of the Dallas Sports Commission, said the international broadcast center will “bring roughly 4,500 to 5,000 people working 24/7 in that broadcast center,” and that the convention center announcement helped attract commercial partners.

Rosa Fleming, director of convention and event services, described the Fan Fest plans and emphasized it will be a regional activation with many district‑level opportunities for vendors, culture programming and hospitality.

Next steps and timeline

Staff said the city will continue monthly coordination meetings, refine the mobility plan (next draft due October 2025; final due March 2026), begin volunteer recruitment in late August 2025 and continue to coordinate safety, sustainability and human‑rights plans with FIFA and regional partners. City officials pledged to deliver regular updates and memos to council members on recruitment, procurement opportunities and security funding asks.