An exterior view of AT&T Stadium in Arlington, March 10, 2026.
Tom Fox/Staff Photographer
Long before the first kickoff, North Texas businesses are already working the World Cup.
They’re hiring, expanding and retooling services to handle a surge of international visitors, betting that the biggest opportunities will happen far from the field.
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With economic impact projected in the billions, much of the opportunity lies beyond the stadium, in lodging, transportation and the broader fan experience. From restaurants to immigration law firms, local businesses are working to ensure the global event runs smoothly.
North Texas will be in the global spotlight from June 11, with the kickoff of the FIFA Fan Festival in Dallas’ Fair Park, through July 14, culminating in the semifinal match at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington.
“This is kind of a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for these businesses to take advantage of these national and international visitors but also to grow their relationships with their local regular clients,” said Jeff Baum, with Clients First Marketing and Communications, a Plano-based marketing and communications agency.
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The World Cup presents a massive economic opportunity for North Texas. While large organizations are already positioned to benefit, local businesses have a unique chance to capture spillover demand, especially from fans who won’t attend matches but still want an immersive experience.
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The event will bring around 3.8 million visitors to the region, according to Visit Dallas.
Around 4,500 media professionals from across the globe are expected to work from the Dallas Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center. The venue will accommodate production studios, editing suites and the technical infrastructure needed to broadcast the matches worldwide.
Navigating the immigration system
Gabriel Castro of Berry Appleman & Leiden, an immigration law firm based in Richardson, said one of the first steps to running a successful event of this magnitude is ensuring people from abroad can enter the country in time for the matches and related events.
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Beyond players, coaches and fans, there are many others whose roles are close to the field of play. These include sideline support staff, ticketing and transportation workers, broader event operations teams and international media crews — some of the workers Castro’s firm is helping employers bring to the U.S.
Castro said putting together a World Cup is kind of similar to hosting 10 Super Bowls at the same time. Having enough skilled workers is key to running the soccer matches, parties and all other events associated with the World Cup, he said.
Due to the complex nature of the U.S. immigration system, obtaining a tourist visa or a work-authorized visa for just two or three months is not a straightforward or quick process, Castro said.
“The big challenge is, of course, finding work‑authorized visas for all of these employees,” Castro said. “The U.S. immigration system doesn’t make it easy.”
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Recently, the process for many soccer players, fans and workers got more tangled after President Donald Trump’s administration imposed a travel ban on about 38 countries that limit or prohibit the issuance of visitor visas.
The ban includes four World Cup-qualified nations: Iran, Ivory Coast, Haiti and Senegal. Trump has said it will make exceptions for players, team officials and their immediate family members.
Working with employers
But some workers are still in limbo and that’s where Castro and his team are stepping up.
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Castro said his team is working with employers from more than 94 countries, serving about 1,200 people. The companies send a list to the firm of workers, their job duties, nationalities, work history and where they will be stationed in the U.S. Attorneys then review each case to determine what visa category might apply.
Castro said his team is handling cases in large batches, assessing about 100 at a time and initiating about 50 at a time. In addition to preparing legal filings, the firm helps clients secure consular appointments and request expedited processing when necessary.
Tiffany Derentz, BAL’s government strategies team and sports and entertainment group partner, said she hopes the U.S. takes this moment to examine how to welcome international visitors to these types of events in the future.
Derentz, a former U.S. consular officer and senior adviser to the Department of State’s chief legal team for immigration affairs, said people coming from abroad should give themselves enough time with their plans, have all their documentation ready and have patience with the process.
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The Department of State has a website with information about the World Cup event for those seeking entrance to the country.
Local soccer fever
Once people are in the U.S., the fever for the World Cup kicks off and that’s where local small businesses can get involved in the global event, said Baum.
Clients First Marketing and Communications is launching Team DFW, a grassroots initiative that enables local small businesses to leverage a set of soccer championship-related programs to increase traffic in their establishments and build their customer base.
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For businesses that might not know where to start, Team DFW is a one-stop shop initiative to help them prepare for the influx of visitors to the area.
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Baum said there are only a limited number of tickets. So, people will look for places to experience Dallas and Texas before or after the games. This includes people who aren’t coming to the games but just want to be part of the experience.
Restaurants and bars can host events related to the competing countries, such as an Argentine night or a Japanese-themed lunch.
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Team DFW, reached by its website www.clientsfirstmc.com, is offering three programs to help local small businesses capitalize on soccer fever. The programs are offered via a menu approach, meaning local small businesses can sign up for any or all of them.