One of the first national teams to call North Texas home during the FIFA World Cup has officially arrived.
The Czechia national team landed at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport on Friday before traveling to Fort Worth, where players and staff received a Texas welcome ahead of the start of training camp in Mansfield.
More than 30 players and staff members arrived on a flight from New York, a day after winning a training match, and were escorted by law enforcement to their hotel in downtown Fort Worth.
The team was greeted with flags, signs and cheers from tourism officials and hotel staff at the Sheraton Fort Worth Downtown Hotel.
While the team will stay in Fort Worth during its time in North Texas, training sessions will take place about 20 miles south in Mansfield.
Local leaders there have spent weeks preparing for the team’s arrival.
“They have signs out. They’ve been participating,” said Theresa Cohagen, Mansfield’s community engagement executive director.
Signs welcoming the team have been placed throughout the city, with flags displayed along entrances and at local businesses.
“Mansfield, Texas, is a real hometown feel. We want them to experience the true Texas hospitality,” Cohagen said.
The team is scheduled to hold its first practice at Mansfield Stadium on Saturday morning, one week before its opening World Cup match.
According to the Czech Football Association, the team’s coach scheduled workouts for Friday morning because of the expected North Texas heat. The association said afternoon temperatures were considered “out of the question.”
The arrival marks another milestone as North Texas begins welcoming teams and fans from around the world for the tournament.