World Cup 2026 Dallas: The Complete Guide

Dallas World Cup 2026 Match Schedule — All 9 Matches

All 9 matches were played at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, operating as "Dallas Stadium" per FIFA naming convention. Dallas took more matches than any other city in the 2026 tournament — including the semifinal on July 14. The group-stage fixtures below are the confirmed pairings. The knockout rows carry FIFA's own bracket notation rather than team names, and this table records no results.

AT&T Stadium — What You Need to Know

AT&T Stadium was the centerpiece of the Dallas World Cup — and it remains one of the most impressive sports venues on Earth. Here is how it operated across the nine matches.

• Capacity: 80,000+ in the World Cup configuration — the largest venue of the 2026 tournament
• Video Board: The world's largest HD video display — a 160-foot-wide video board spanning 60 yards of the field, 72 feet tall. Visible from every seat.
• Climate: Fully air-conditioned, with the retractable roof closed for every World Cup match. Inside temperature held at ~72°F regardless of the 100°F heat outside.
• Location: ARLINGTON, Texas — NOT Dallas. The stadium is 20 miles west of Downtown Dallas. That distinction drove every transit decision of the tournament: Arlington and Dallas are separate cities with separate transit systems.
• Bag Policy: Clear bag policy identical to NRG Stadium (Houston). One clear bag (12" x 6" x 12" max) or one small clutch (4.5" x 6.5"). No backpacks, no exceptions.
• Tickets: All tickets were mobile-only via the FIFA ID app. No paper ticket existed for this tournament.
• Payments: The entire stadium is cashless. Credit cards, debit cards, and mobile payments only. No cash accepted at any vendor.
• Gates: Opened 2.5-3 hours before kickoff. Security processing ran as long as 90 minutes for the peak matches — the semifinal and the two Argentina fixtures.
• Post-Match: Departures took 2+ hours regardless of method. Moving 80,000+ people out of Arlington is slow, and there was never a fast exit.

The Arlington Transit Guide — How to Actually Get to AT&T Stadium

There is no rail to AT&T Stadium, and none was built for the tournament. Arlington runs a small on-demand microtransit service and nothing else. That constraint defined every Dallas match day, so here is the honest record, using the numbers Arlington and the regional planners actually published.

The free charter-bus bridge was the backbone. Fans rode the Trinity Railway Express to CentrePort/DFW Airport Station, then boarded one of roughly 125 reserved charter buses running to "Lot H – the BusHub," about a half-mile walk from the gates. The shuttle was free with a match ticket. The catch most guides missed: the TRE rail leg itself still required a separate regional day pass of about $9. NCTCOG confirmed the 125-bus figure in its April 2026 public meeting; the City of Arlington confirmed the half-mile walk.

Arlington On-Demand (rebranded from Via Arlington on March 2, 2026) is the city's app-booked microtransit. Fares are distance-based: $3 for 0–4 miles up to $8 for 8+ miles, with a flat $3 to and from the CentrePort TRE station. Weekly and monthly passes were replaced with Ride Credit Bundles. On match days the service ran deep into its capacity, and waits were long.

Driving meant pre-booked parking only. FIFA centralized AT&T Stadium parking through JustPark — pre-booked online, no on-site cash. Reported pricing ran roughly $125–$200 for group-stage matches, $150–$250 for knockouts, about $175 for the semifinal, and up to $500 for oversized vehicles or buses. Match-day road closures covered AT&T Way, Cowboys Way, and portions of Nolan Ryan Expressway.

Rideshare was the easy way in and the hard way out. Getting to Arlington from Dallas was routine; leaving after a full house meant long queues at the official pickup zone in the Esports Stadium Arlington lot, and the crush took a couple of hours to clear. The standard workaround was to walk clear of the geofence or wait it out at Texas Live! next door.

Every option compared step by step, with a matchday cost calculator: Getting to AT&T Stadium — the complete transit guide → and the Arlington transport cost comparator →

Fair Park Fan Festival — Free, Massive, DART-Accessible

For everyone without a match ticket, the FIFA Fan Festival at Fair Park was the Dallas World Cup. Free, enormous, and open for nearly the entire tournament.

• Location: Fair Park, 3809 Grand Ave, Dallas. The historic Art Deco complex that hosts the Texas State Fair — one of the most architecturally significant public spaces in Texas.
• Scale: Approximately 1 million square feet. The main Pavilion holds 20,000 fans; Lots 9/10 hold an additional 15,000 — a simultaneous capacity of 35,000 fans.
• Duration: Open on all 34 match days of the tournament, from one hour before the first match of the day to one hour after the final whistle.
• Cost: FREE. No registration for general admission. Ticketed concerts and premium experiences were sold separately.
• Transit: DART Green Line directly to Fair Park Station. It is the easiest major venue to reach by transit in all of DFW, and no car is needed.

What the Fan Festival Ran

• Giant Screens: All 104 World Cup matches broadcast live on massive LED displays, with dedicated screens for each fixture on the group-stage days that ran 3-4 matches at once.
• Mini-Pitch: FIFA's regulation mini-pitch for pick-up games and skills challenges — where international fan groups organized their own informal matches between nations.
• Family Playground: A dedicated kids' zone with soccer-themed activities, enough to hold a family for a full day.
• Cultural Showcases: Programming representing each of the 48 qualifying nations. Music, dance, food, and art from around the world.
• Beer Garden & Food: Local Dallas vendors alongside international food options. Deep Ellum breweries, Tex-Mex, and global street food.
• Ticketed Concerts: Evening concerts on select match days, sold separately from the free general admission.

The heat was the real story. The Fan Festival was OUTDOORS, and Dallas temperatures in June and July hit 95-100°F. Fair Park has limited natural shade, so the midday sessions were punishing and the morning and evening blocks carried the comfortable crowds.

Best Neighborhoods for World Cup Visitors — Dallas vs. Arlington vs. Fort Worth

Where visitors slept defined the trip, and the trade-off was simple. Basing in Dallas — Downtown, Deep Ellum, or Uptown/Victory Park — bought DART rail, the densest dining and nightlife, and a short Green Line ride to the Fan Festival, with matches reached via the free charter-bus bridge or the TRE. Basing in Arlington only paid off for fans attending three or more matches who wanted to walk to the gate: there is no rail to Dallas, dining thins out fast beyond Texas Live!, and World Cup rates surged hard — the Fort Worth Star-Telegram's booking-portal checks found Loews Arlington at roughly $1,900–$2,000 a night against a normal $250–$300. Fort Worth was the value base (about $120–$400) with TRE rail into the metro and the Stockyards for the authentic Texas day. Downtown sits closest to Victory Station and the TRE; Deep Ellum carries the late-night energy; Uptown is the walkable-luxury option.

All 10 neighborhoods — Downtown, Arlington, Deep Ellum, Uptown, Fort Worth, plus Bishop Arts, Design District, Frisco/Plano, Las Colinas, and Grapevine — ranked with specific hotels and price ranges: Where to Stay for the Dallas World Cup → Staying a week or more in DFW? Corporate housing near AT&T Stadium → still undercuts nightly hotel rates.

Where to Eat, Drink & Watch World Cup Matches

The free FIFA Fan Festival at Fair Park was the anchor watch venue: 35,000 capacity, every match on giant screens, DART Green Line to the door, June 11 through July 19. For bars, the hubs were The Londoner in Addison (the DFW soccer institution and English-fan HQ), Happiest Hour in Victory Park, Katy Trail Ice House in Uptown, and Texas Live! directly beside AT&T Stadium for pre-match and overflow crowds. Deep Ellum took the late-night scene, kitchens running past 2 AM once the 9 PM matches finished.

For food, Deep Ellum holds two of the best barbecue rooms in Texas (Terry Black's and Pecan Lodge), Hurtado Barbecue sits ten minutes from the stadium, and the Tex-Mex institutions run from El Fenix (open since 1918) to Mia's. Fans sorted themselves by nationality: England to The Londoner, Argentina to the Dallas steakhouses and churrascarias, Japan to Uchi and Tei-An, the Dutch to the Katy Trail Ice House patio. On a day between matches, the Fort Worth Stockyards BBQ trail — Goldee's (Texas Monthly's #1), Heim, Panther City, and halal Sabar BBQ — was worth the drive, and still is.

Full restaurant and bar guide by neighborhood and nationality, with maps and reservations: Dallas World Cup Restaurants & Bars Guide →

Beat the Texas Heat — Dallas Edition

Dallas in June and July is HOT. But unlike Houston, it's a dry heat — lower humidity, temperatures regularly reaching 95-100°F (35-38°C) with occasional spikes above 105°F. The dry heat is deceptive: sweat evaporates quickly, so you may not realize how much fluid you're losing. Dehydration risk is actually higher in Dallas than in humid Houston because your body's warning signs (visible sweat, feeling clammy) get muted.

Survival Rules

• Hydrate aggressively: Drink water before you feel thirsty and carry a refillable bottle everywhere. Outdoors in a Dallas summer, 16 oz every 30 minutes is the working baseline.
• Sunscreen is mandatory: SPF 50+ reapplied every 2 hours. The Texas sun is intense at this latitude. Sunburn can happen in under 30 minutes.
• Hat and sunglasses: Not optional for outdoor venues. A wide-brim hat provides meaningful shade for your face and neck.
• Schedule around the heat: The hottest hours are 2-5 PM. That is why the noon kickoffs were the kinder ones — they put fans inside AT&T Stadium's air conditioning during peak heat, while the 6-9 PM matches pushed the pre-match transit leg into the worst window of the day.
• AT&T Stadium is air-conditioned: The retractable roof stayed closed for every match. Inside was comfortable throughout — it was the getting there and back that punished anyone who came unprepared.

Air-Conditioned Escapes Between Matches

• Dallas Museum of Art (Arts District) — Free admission. World-class collection. Walking distance from DART.
• Perot Museum of Nature and Science (Victory Park) — Interactive science museum, excellent for families. Near Victory Station.
• The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza (Downtown) — JFK assassination history in the former Texas School Book Depository. An essential Dallas experience.
• NorthPark Center (North Dallas) — One of the top shopping centers in the US. Massive, climate-controlled, with art installations throughout.
• Dallas World Aquarium (Downtown) — Indoor rainforest and aquarium. Walking distance from West End DART station.

Essential Info for International Visitors

If you are traveling to Dallas from outside the United States, here is the legal and practical information you need to know.

Legal & Cultural

• Drinking Age: 21 years old with valid photo ID. Strictly enforced. International visitors: carry your passport as proof of age.
• Cannabis: Marijuana is completely illegal in Texas for recreational use. Possession of any amount is a criminal offense. This applies regardless of the law in your home country or US state of origin. A drug arrest can affect future US visa applications.
• Tipping: Expected at restaurants (18-22% of pre-tax bill), bars ($1-2 per drink), rideshare (15-20%), and hotel housekeeping ($3-5/night). Not tipping is considered a serious social offense in American dining culture.
• Sales Tax: Texas has no state income tax, but sales tax is 8.25% in Dallas. Prices displayed in stores and on menus do NOT include tax — it is added at checkout.
• Cashless: AT&T Stadium, the Fan Festival, and most Dallas restaurants/bars accept credit/debit cards and mobile payments. Some establishments are cash-only (rare). Carry both.

Practical

• Electrical: US standard is 120V / 60Hz with Type A/B plugs. Visitors from Europe, UK, Asia, and most other regions will need a plug adapter. Most phone chargers (USB-C/Lightning) handle voltage automatically.
• Mobile/SIM: Purchase an eSIM before arrival or buy a prepaid SIM at DFW Airport (T-Mobile, AT&T kiosks in terminals). Data is essential for rideshare apps and GoPass (DART) — and during the World Cup it was what got you through the gate, since the FIFA ID ticket app was the only ticket.
• Emergency: Dial 911 for police, fire, or medical emergencies. This works from any phone, including locked phones and phones without an active SIM.
• Pharmacy: CVS and Walgreens are on nearly every major intersection in Dallas. Open early morning to late night (some 24/7). Over-the-counter medications available without prescription.
• DFW Airport: Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) is the primary gateway — the 3rd busiest airport in the world. DART Orange Line connects Terminal A to Downtown Dallas in approximately 50 minutes. Dallas Love Field (DAL) is closer to Downtown (20 minutes by DART) but serves fewer international routes.

Budgets — What the Dallas World Cup Actually Cost

Dallas ran a wider budget range than most host cities. The "Arlington Premium" — post-match rideshare, parking fees, and stadium-proximity hotel pricing — was the line item that blew up the budgets of anyone who had not accounted for it.

FIFA Ticket Prices (Face Value)

Prices are face value from FIFA Ticketing. Secondary-market resale for the high-demand Dallas fixtures ran well above these figures.

Daily Budget Tiers — What a Match Day Ran

The Arlington Premium explained: Driving meant FIFA JustPark parking at $125–$500 per match. Leaving by rideshare meant surge pricing on top of a long queue. The free charter-bus bridge from the TRE was both the budget option — the only cost was the ~$9 TRE regional day pass — and the most reliable one.

How a 4-Day Dallas World Cup Trip Ran

This is the shape most visiting fans landed on: one day in the city, one match day swallowed whole by Arlington logistics, one day out to Fort Worth, and one at the Fan Festival. Three of the four days work just as well for anyone visiting Dallas now.