<\/p>\n
An exterior view of AT&T Stadium in Arlington, March 10, 2026.<\/p>\n
Tom Fox\/Staff Photographer<\/p>\n
Long before the first kickoff, North Texas businesses are already\u00a0working the World Cup<\/a>.<\/p>\n They\u2019re hiring, expanding and retooling services to handle a surge of international visitors, betting that the biggest opportunities will happen far from the field.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n North Texas will be in the global spotlight from June 11, with the kickoff of the FIFA Fan Festival<\/a> in Dallas\u2019 Fair Park, through July 14, culminating in the semifinal match at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThis 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,\u201d said Jeff Baum, with Clients First Marketing and Communications<\/a>, a Plano-based marketing and communications agency.<\/p>\n Make Dallas News a preferred source so your search results prioritize writing by actual people, not AI.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Add Preferred Source<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n The World Cup presents a massive economic opportunity for North Texas<\/a>. While large organizations are already positioned to benefit, local businesses have a unique chance to capture spillover demand, especially from fans who won\u2019t attend matches but still want an immersive experience.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n The event will bring around 3.8 million visitors to the region<\/a>, according to Visit Dallas.\u00a0<\/p>\n Around 4,500 media professionals from across the globe are expected to work from the Dallas Kay Bailey Hutchison\u00a0Convention Center<\/a>. The venue will accommodate production studios, editing suites and the technical infrastructure needed to broadcast the matches worldwide.<\/p>\n Navigating the immigration system\u00a0<\/p>\n Gabriel Castro of Berry Appleman & Leiden, an immigration law firm based in Richardson<\/a>, 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.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n 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 \u2014 some of the workers Castro\u2019s firm is helping employers bring to the U.S.<\/p>\n 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.\u00a0<\/p>\n 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.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThe big challenge is, of course, finding work\u2011authorized visas for all of these employees,\u201d Castro said. \u201cThe U.S. immigration system doesn\u2019t make it easy.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Recently, the process for many soccer players, fans and workers got more tangled after President Donald Trump\u2019s administration imposed a travel ban on about 38 countries that limit or prohibit the issuance of visitor visas.\u00a0<\/p>\n 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.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Working with employers<\/p>\n But some workers are still in limbo and that\u2019s where Castro and his team are stepping up.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n 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.\u00a0<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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.\u00a0<\/p>\n Derentz, a former U.S. consular officer and senior adviser to the Department of State\u2019s 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.\u00a0<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n The Department of State has a website with information about the World Cup<\/a> event for those seeking entrance to the country.\u00a0<\/p>\n Local soccer fever\u00a0<\/p>\n Once people are in the U.S., the fever for the World Cup kicks off and that\u2019s where local small businesses can get involved in the global event, said Baum.\u00a0<\/p>\n Clients First Marketing and Communications<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n 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.\u00a0<\/p>\n By signing up, you agree to our Terms Of Use<\/a> and acknowledge that your information will be used as described in our Privacy Policy<\/a>.<\/p>\n 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.\u00a0<\/p>\n Restaurants and bars can host events related to the competing countries, such as an Argentine night or a Japanese-themed lunch.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Team DFW, reached by its website www.clientsfirstmc.com<\/a>, 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.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
![\"image\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1775016909_917_rawImage.jpg\" "\\"#\\"")
<\/p>\n