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Next Up, The 2026 World Cup In North Texas

Hundreds of fans gathered in bars across North Texas to watch this year’s final
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Photo: La Nación | Facebook

The last match of the 2022 World Cup did not disappoint hundreds of fans gathered in Legacy Hall in Plano this weekend to watch the final. The month-long championship ended with one of the most thrilling games in the cup’s history.

France and Argentina outdid each other for more than two hours in a game that had to be defined by penalties. After the half-hour extension ended in a 3 - 3 match, Argentina scored four out of five penalties before France could score more than two, earning its third World Cup after more than 30 years. According to NBCDFW, in Plano, Legacy Hall put its  24ft LED screen to good use for the four weeks the tournament lasted offering fans a big screen viewing in its outdoor space. Fans are, no doubt, looking forward to when the cup comes to North Texas. 

As previously reported by Local Profile, Dallas is one of 16 host cities for the 2026 World Cup and now that the 2022 cup has wrapped up North Texas is getting ready for its turn to host the championship. But fans are not the only ones looking forward to the next cup. 

“The economic impact will stagger your minds,” said Mayor Cheney at the Frisco 2022 State of the City luncheon in June. “People will drive 300 miles — hotels 300 miles away will be booked out during the World Cup. So, what is this going to mean for Frisco to have fans to come, be based here, [us] host things at the National Soccer Hall of Fame, to be able to host teams and other kinds of things? It’s going to be a major, major win for the city of Frisco.”

Earlier this year, Local Profile spoke with Gina Miller, FC Dallas’ vice president of media and communications, about what the team — and Toyota Stadium — hoped to get from the 2026 World Cup. She said the goal is to host at least six games at AT&T Stadium, including an opening game, a final or a semi-final. “We are aiming big here,” she added.

Since then, the Dallas Cowboys have planned numerous upgrades to the AT&T Stadium that will cost upwards of around $295 million.

"It really gets me excited for what we have upcoming in 2026,” said Monica Paul, the executive director of the Dallas Sports Commission told NBCDFW. “Our goal at the end of the day is to be hosting a final in 2026.”