Dallas hosts more 2026 World Cup matches than any other city in the tournament — nine games at AT&T Stadium, including a semifinal on July 14. Argentina plays here twice. England, the Netherlands, and Japan all have group-stage dates in Arlington. But here is the part most travel guides bury three paragraphs deep: AT&T Stadium sits in Arlington, Texas, a city with zero public transit. No train. No bus route. No rail line under construction. Your housing decision in Dallas is your transportation plan, and getting it wrong means a $100 rideshare bill on match day instead of a $9 transit day pass.
- The playoff slots are settled: Japan's June 25 evening match is against Sweden.
- The transit play beats the rideshare math: a $9 Regional One-Day Pass (GoPass app, "World Cup" agency) covers the TRE train to CentrePort, the free Stadium Shuttle (match ticket required), and DART for the day. Shuttles run from about 4 hours before kickoff to roughly 3 hours after the final whistle.
- The Fan Festival at Fair Park's Dos Equis Pavilion is open June 11 to July 19. Entry is free but requires an advance digital ticket.
- Driving? Arlington closes AT&T Way and Cowboys Way around the stadium on match days, and city lots near the stadium are pre-purchase only with no cash accepted.
9 Matches, 5 Weeks, and the Biggest Names in the Draw
Dallas Stadium (AT&T Stadium’s FIFA tournament name) hosts five group-stage matches and four knockout rounds between June 14 and July 14, 2026. The draw landed some of the tournament’s most anticipated matchups here. Argentina appears twice, and the semifinal is the crown jewel.
| Date | Match | Round | Kickoff (CT) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sun, June 14 | Netherlands vs Japan | Group F | 3:00 PM |
| Wed, June 17 | England vs Croatia | Group L | 3:00 PM |
| Mon, June 22 | Argentina vs Austria | Group J | 12:00 PM |
| Thu, June 25 | Japan vs Sweden | Group F | 6:00 PM |
| Sat, June 27 | Jordan vs Argentina | Group J | 9:00 PM |
| Mon, June 30 | Round of 32 | Knockout | 12:00 PM |
| Fri, July 3 | Round of 32 | Knockout | 1:00 PM |
| Mon, July 6 | Round of 16 | Knockout | 2:00 PM |
| Tue, July 14 | Semifinal | Knockout | 2:00 PM |
No USA, Canada, or Mexico matches are scheduled here. For the full tournament-wide bracket and ticket details, check the Dallas World Cup 2026 hub or the official Dallas FWC26 match schedule.
The Arlington Problem: No Train, No Bus, One Giant Parking Lot
AT&T Stadium is 20 miles west of downtown Dallas in Arlington, often cited as the largest U.S. city without mass transit (population roughly 395,000). Arlington voters have rejected transit funding multiple times over the past two decades. The city’s only public option is Via Arlington, an on-demand van service. Useful for grocery runs, not for moving 80,000 soccer fans.
Three ways fans actually reach the stadium on match days:
Drive and park. AT&T Stadium has roughly 24,000 parking spaces across numbered and lettered lots. Expect to pay $40 to $75 per match, and pre-booking through ParkWhiz or SeatGeek is strongly recommended. Late buyers may park a 20-to-30-minute walk from the gates.
DART bus bridge. This is the transit play. DART is deploying 50 buses on a dedicated I-30 express lane from Victory Station (next to American Airlines Center in Dallas) directly to Lot H at the stadium. The ride takes about 45 minutes without traffic, longer on match days. Separately, DART’s TRE commuter trains run from Victory Station to CentrePort, where NCTCOG-funded shuttles carry fans the last few miles. Total time from central Dallas: about 90 minutes including boarding.
Rideshare. Uber and Lyft from Dallas cost $35 to $70 one way in normal traffic. On match days, expect surge pricing to push that toward $80 to $120. Drop-off is at Lot 15 off Randol Mill Road. Post-match pickup uses the same lot, and lines can stretch 45 minutes or longer.
For the full transit breakdown with route maps, see the Getting to AT&T Stadium guide.
5 Neighborhoods for 5 Types of Fans
For most first-time visitors, Downtown Dallas is the right call. It has the best transit access and puts you at the bus bridge departure point. But your priorities might shift that pick. This table shows the tradeoffs at a glance.
| Neighborhood | To Stadium | Walk Score | WC Hotel Rate | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Downtown Dallas | 90 min (bus bridge) | 92 | $250–$500 | Transit hub, first-timers |
| Uptown | 90 min (bus bridge) | 93 | $250–$500+ | Restaurants, nightlife |
| Deep Ellum | 90 min (bus bridge) | 76 | $150–$300 | Culture, budget, Fan Fest access |
| Arlington | Walk (10–15 min) | Car-dependent | $150–$300 | Stadium proximity, multi-match trips |
| Fort Worth | 90 min (TRE + shuttle) | 38 (Downtown FW) | $120–$250 | Budget, Texas character |
Downtown Dallas: The DART Hub
Downtown Dallas is the transit center of the metroplex, with Union Station connecting all DART light rail lines plus the TRE commuter rail to Fort Worth. Victory Station, the departure point for DART’s World Cup bus bridge, sits at Downtown’s northwest edge next to American Airlines Center. Walk Score is 92 with a Transit Score of 85, the highest in the metro.
Hotels run $250 to $500 per night during match weeks. The Omni Dallas, The Joule (Main Street), and The Adolphus are the anchor properties. The Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center will house the International Broadcast Center, so expect the Arts District and surrounding blocks to carry a tournament-week energy even on non-match days. For furnished apartments in Downtown Dallas, month-to-month leases run below hotel surge rates.
Not for you if: You want to walk to the stadium. Downtown is 20 miles from AT&T Stadium. Every match day requires the bus bridge, TRE, or rideshare.
Uptown: Best Restaurants, Best Walk Score
Walk Score 93. That is the highest on this list, and you feel it walking down McKinney Avenue: restaurants on both sides, the Katy Trail cutting through for morning runs, and the free McKinney Avenue Trolley linking Uptown to Downtown and Victory Station. DART’s Cityplace/Uptown station puts you on the Red and Orange Lines. Match-day logistics mirror Downtown (bus bridge from Victory Station), but between matches, Uptown is the better place to eat, drink, and walk.
Hotels run $250 to $500+ during the World Cup. The W Dallas-Victory and Hotel ZaZa Dallas are the top picks. Uptown connects to Downtown via the Klyde Warren Park pedestrian bridge, so you can walk between the two neighborhoods in 15 minutes.
Not for you if: You’re on a tight budget. Uptown is the most expensive neighborhood on this list, and its hotel rates will spike the highest during peak matches like England vs Croatia.
Deep Ellum: Nightlife and the Closest DART Stop to Fair Park
Deep Ellum is Dallas’s live music and street art district: bars, record shops, and late-night taco joints along Elm Street and Main Street. The DART Green Line runs through Deep Ellum station, and Fair Park (home to the FIFA Fan Festival) is just two stops east. That makes Deep Ellum the strongest pick for fans splitting time between the Fan Festival and the nightlife scene.
Hotels and Airbnbs run $150 to $300 per night, making it the most affordable inner-Dallas option. Short-term rental apartments in Deep Ellum and neighboring Oak Cliff tend to undercut hotel prices for groups. For furnished apartments in Deep Ellum, check availability early — this neighborhood books fast during events.
Not for you if: You need quiet. Deep Ellum is loud on normal weekends. During the World Cup, it will be louder.
Arlington: Walk to the Stadium, Skip Everything Else
If your trip is purely about matches, Arlington eliminates the transit question entirely. Hotels near AT&T Stadium and the Texas Live! entertainment district put you within a 10-to-15-minute walk of the gates. No bus bridge, no rideshare surge, no 90-minute commute. Just walk.
Hotels near the stadium run $150 to $300 per night during the World Cup, with the new Loews Arlington Hotel and Live! by Loews being the closest options. Texas Live! has restaurants and sports bars, and Globe Life Field (Texas Rangers) is next door. But that is essentially the entire neighborhood. Arlington outside the entertainment district is strip malls, highways, and residential subdivisions.
Not for you if: You want to experience Dallas. Arlington is not Dallas. It has no nightlife district, no walkable culture, and no DART access. Between matches, you’ll need a car or rideshare to do anything else.
Fort Worth: The Dark Horse with a Train
Fort Worth rarely appears in Dallas World Cup guides, but the math works. The TRE commuter train runs from T&P Station in Downtown Fort Worth to CentrePort station, where NCTCOG shuttles connect to the stadium. Hotels in the Stockyards and Downtown Fort Worth run $120 to $250 per night, the cheapest option on this list. Fort Worth also has its own identity: the Stockyards, the Kimbell Art Museum, Sundance Square, and a bar scene that operates at about half the price of Uptown.
Not for you if: You want quick stadium access. The TRE + shuttle route takes about 90 minutes, and trains run on a commuter schedule (roughly every 30 to 60 minutes during peak hours). Miss a train and you are waiting.
For a deeper look at Dallas neighborhoods by transit access, see the DART-commutable neighborhoods guide or the full Dallas neighborhood index.
Fair Park Fan Festival: The Part That Works Without a Car
The official FIFA Fan Festival runs from June 11 through July 19 at Fair Park, a 277-acre site just east of Downtown Dallas. Produced by C3 Presents (the team behind Austin City Limits and Lollapalooza), the festival has space for 35,000 fans at a time and screens every one of the tournament’s 104 matches on giant displays. Admission is free, with premium tickets available separately.
Here is the good news: unlike the stadium, the Fan Festival has direct DART rail service. Fair Park station sits on the Green Line, and during the World Cup, DART is running three-car trains every 10 minutes between Victory Station and Fair Park. From Deep Ellum, it is two stops. From Downtown, about 15 minutes. The Fan Festival is the car-free half of the Dallas World Cup experience, the half that actually works the way Houston’s Red Line corridor works for NRG Stadium. Check the Dallas World Cup survival guide for packing tips and heat preparation (June average highs hit 96°F).
What a Week in Dallas Actually Costs
Hotel prices during the World Cup are running about 174% above normal rates, according to WFAA reporting. A room that normally runs $180 per night is listing at $400 to $500 during match weeks. Airbnb listings average about $300 per night across Dallas, with prices climbing steeply for properties near the stadium or in walkable neighborhoods.
| Expense | Budget | Mid-Range | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accommodation (per night) | $150–$200 | $300–$450 | $500+ |
| Transit to stadium (per match) | $10–$15 (bus bridge) | $40–$75 (drive + park) | $80–$120 (rideshare) |
| Food & drink | $40–$60 | $80–$120 | $150+ |
| Match ticket (Cat 3–Cat 1) | $50–$80 | $150–$250 | $400+ |
| Daily total (match day) | $250–$355 | $570–$895 | $1,130+ |
For fans attending two or three matches over a week, a short-term furnished apartment can cut accommodation costs by 30 to 50% compared to hotel surge rates. A kitchen alone saves $30 to $50 per day on meals. Furnished units in Downtown, Uptown, and Deep Ellum start at roughly $150 to $200 per night on month-to-month leases — well below the $300+ hotel average during match weeks.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you take DART to AT&T Stadium for the World Cup?
No. DART rail stops in Dallas, about 20 miles from the stadium. Your two transit options are the DART bus bridge (buses on a dedicated I-30 lane, $10 to $15 estimated) or the TRE commuter train to CentrePort plus a shuttle for the last few miles. Both depart from Victory Station in Dallas. Budget about 90 minutes total from central Dallas to the stadium gates.
How much does parking cost at AT&T Stadium during the World Cup?
Expect to pay $40 to $75 per match. AT&T Stadium has roughly 24,000 parking spaces across its numbered lots and the adjacent Globe Life Field complex. Pre-booking through ParkWhiz or SeatGeek is strongly recommended. Late arrivals may end up in lots that add 20 to 30 minutes of walking to the gates.
Is it better to stay in Dallas or Arlington for the World Cup?
Dallas for most fans. You get walkable neighborhoods, real restaurants and bars, and DART rail to the Fan Festival at Fair Park. The 90-minute match-day transit is a hassle, but you only deal with it on the days you hold tickets. Arlington makes sense if you are attending three or more matches and your only priority is walking to the gates. Between matches in Arlington, you will need a car or rideshare for almost everything.
How far is downtown Dallas from AT&T Stadium?
About 20 miles, or 25 to 40 minutes by car in normal traffic. On match days, that drive can stretch to 60 to 90 minutes. DART’s bus bridge and TRE train options take about 90 minutes including boarding and transfers. Leave 90 to 120 minutes before kickoff if departing from Dallas.
Are Uber and Lyft reliable on World Cup match days in Dallas?
Between matches, rideshare works well in the Dallas metro. Within 90 minutes before kickoff and after the final whistle, expect 3 to 5 times surge pricing near AT&T Stadium. A $35 ride becomes $80 to $120. Post-match pickup at Lot 15 can involve 30-to-45-minute waits. The DART bus bridge at $10 to $15 is faster and cheaper on match days.
What is the FIFA Fan Festival in Dallas and where is it?
The Fan Festival is a free, 39-day event at Fair Park in East Dallas running from June 11 through July 19. Giant screens broadcast all 104 World Cup matches, with live music, international food vendors, and interactive soccer activities. Capacity is 35,000 at a time, and organizers expect 1.5 million total visitors. DART’s Green Line serves Fair Park station directly, with trains running every 10 minutes during the tournament.
Book Downtown Dallas if you are coming for one or two matches and want the easiest transit access. Book Arlington if you are attending three or more and want to walk to the gates. Book Deep Ellum if nightlife matters more than a short commute. Everything else is a lifestyle choice. Start with the Dallas World Cup where-to-stay guide for real-time hotel pricing, or check the Dallas World Cup restaurant and bar guide to plan your off-match meals.