With the 2026 FIFA World Cup headed to North Texas, many people wonder: Could Dallas someday host the Olympic Games?<\/p>\n
It\u2019s not as far-fetched as it might sound.<\/p>\n
We sat down with Monica Paul, executive director of the Dallas Sports Commission, to talk about how this summer\u2019s global soccer showcase could lay the groundwork for an Olympic bid.<\/p>\n
Paul\u2019s passion for the Games runs deep.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m a huge Olympics fan,\u201d she said. \u201cI\u2019ve been to two Olympic Games \u2014 Athens and Sydney \u2014 in 2004 and 2000.\u201d<\/p>\n
More than two decades later, Paul is now spearheading Dallas\u2019 effort to host nine matches during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, one of the largest sporting events on the planet.<\/p>\n
In many ways, she says, hosting the World Cup mirrors the Olympic experience.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think they\u2019re very similar in terms of the number of people that come to a city, the passion, the different cultures and experiences,\u201d Paul explained.<\/p>\n
Like the Olympics, the World Cup didn\u2019t simply land in Dallas. It took years of preparation and competition.<\/p>\n
The North Texas bid process began in 2017 and required detailed proposals covering stadium infrastructure, training facilities, transportation systems, safety, security, and the region\u2019s track record hosting major events.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re providing a lot of technical details,\u201d Paul said. \u201cBut we have a pretty impressive resume.\u201d<\/p>\n
That resume includes one venue she believes stands above the rest.<\/p>\n
\u201cI might be biased,\u201d Paul admitted, \u201cbut AT&T Stadium, in my opinion, is the best stadium in the world.\u201d<\/p>\n
Could she envision an Olympic opening ceremony there?<\/p>\n
\u201cI could,\u201d she said without hesitation.<\/p>\n
AT&T Stadium wouldn\u2019t be alone. North Texas boasts a deep bench of major venues. Among them: American Airlines Center, Dickies Arena, Toyota Stadium, Cotton Bowl, and Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a great asset for us in the venues that we have here,\u201d Paul said.<\/p>\n
Beyond bricks and mortar, she says the region\u2019s greatest strength is its people. \u201cOur Texas hospitality is very important to us. We know we have that.\u201d<\/p>\n
When the World Cup concludes next July, the infrastructure and relationships built during the process won\u2019t disappear.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou want these relationships to continue,\u201d Paul said. \u201cThat\u2019s how you\u2019re going to be successful for the next major event or the next bid process.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dallas has pursued the Olympics before, falling short twice in the past 25 years. But Paul believes the city has evolved.\u00a0 \u201cI think Dallas is really becoming, or starting to be recognized, as a global business city and community.\u201d<\/p>\n
Landing an Olympic Games is a long shot for nearly any city. With the 2028 Summer Olympics already set for Los Angeles, it could be years before the Games return to U.S. soil.<\/p>\n
Still, Paul sees the World Cup as a pivotal moment.\u00a0 \u201cThis is our chance to be on a global stage,\u201d she said. \u201cWe want to get it right.\u201d<\/p>\n
When asked directly whether North Texas has what it takes to host the Olympics, Paul didn\u2019t hesitate.\u00a0 \u201cYes, I do think this community has what it takes.\u201d<\/p>\n
As for her own role, if that day comes?\u00a0 \u201cI might want to be retired by the time the Olympic Games would come here,\u201d she said with a laugh. \u201cBut I would be the biggest champion.\u201d<\/p>\n
Even without an Olympic bid, the region\u2019s sports calendar remains ambitious.<\/p>\n
North Texas has already secured the NCAA Men’s Final Four in 2030 and the NCAA Women’s Final Four the following year. The city is also bidding for the FIFA Women’s World Cup, and there is ongoing discussion about bringing another Super Bowl to the region.<\/p>\n
For now, all eyes are on 2026.\u00a0 But if Dallas delivers on the World Cup stage, the Olympic dream may not be so distant after all.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"With the 2026 FIFA World Cup headed to North Texas, many people wonder: Could Dallas someday host the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":173785,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[48241,3691,102,104,103],"class_list":["post-173784","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-dallas","tag-2026-milan-cortina-olympics","tag-2026-world-cup","tag-dallas","tag-dallas-headlines","tag-dallas-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/173784","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=173784"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/173784\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/173785"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=173784"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=173784"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=173784"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}