<\/p>\n
Trick roper Kent Durham entertains soccer supporters before a World Cup semifinal match between Spain and France at Dallas Stadium in Arlington, July 14, 2026.<\/p>\n
Tom Fox\/The Dallas Morning News<\/p>\n
ARLINGTON \u2014 The end came at 3:59 p.m., with exultant Spain players shouting and looking skyward<\/a> and anguished France counterparts dropping to their knees.\u00a0<\/p>\n Thanks to its suffocating defense, world No. 3 Spain\u2019s 2-0 toppling of No. 1 France<\/a> in Tuesday\u2019s World Cup semifinal in Dallas Stadium lacked the drama many expected, but the matchlong atmosphere was nonetheless electric.\u00a0<\/p>\n Spain moves on to face Wednesday\u2019s Argentina-England winner in Sunday\u2019s World Cup final in New York Stadium, but North Texas\u2019 tournament-most nine-game run ended with Tuesday\u2019s final whistle and explosion of cheers from La Roja faithful<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n \u201cIn our case, we are responsible for this joy that people are feeling in the streets,\u201d Spain coach Luis de la\u00a0Fuente<\/a> said\u00a0after his team received a congratulatory call from Spanish King Felipe VI. \u201cWe are a country united for a common cause.\u201d<\/p>\n History will show that in the most consequential soccer game in North Texas annals, French superstar Kylian Mbapp\u00e9\u00a0was stifled by a Spanish defense that\u2019s yielded one goal in seven 2026 World Cup matches<\/a>. \u00a0<\/p>\n And the record will show that nine matches in the home of the Dallas Cowboys drew 631,843 fans and produced 29 goals and countless indelible memories\u00a0\u2014 on and off the pitch\u00a0\u2014 for North Texans and perhaps as many as 4 million visitors.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI told FIFA when they were here in 2021 that we do things bigger and better in Texas, especially here in Dallas,\u201d said North Texas FIFA World Cup organizing committee co-chair Dan Hunt, whose father, Lamar, was co-chair of Dallas\u2019 1994 World Cup organizing committee<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI think they now recognize that\u2019s how we do things.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Among the near-sellout crowd was a glittering array of stars<\/a> that included American-French actor Timoth\u00e9e Chalamet; Spanish actor Javier Bardem; Sir David Beckham and wife Victoria of England; and Jamaican track star Usain Bolt.\u00a0<\/p>\n Most in the stadium probably expected at least one goal from Mbapp\u00e9, especially after fellow superstars Lionel Messi of Argentina, Erling Haaland of Norway and Harry Kane of England all scored here during this World Cup.\u00a0<\/p>\n But Mbapp\u00e9\u00a0and France suffered the same fate here as did seventh-ranked Portugal and 41-year-old star Cristiano Ronaldo<\/a>, just eight days earlier.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cBeing here, in this moment, is incredible,\u201d said Mikel Oyarzabal, who scored Spain\u2019s first goal Tuesday, in the 22nd minute, and earlier this week pushed back against negative media commentary about La Roja\u2019s chances.<\/p>\n \u201cI said what I said because it was truly how I felt. For us, the most important thing was keeping a positive mindset, so we could take this huge step today.\u201d<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Spain midfielder Mikel Oyarzabal (21) celebrates after scoring from a penalty during the first half of a FIFA World Cup semifinal game against France, on Tuesday, July 14, 2026 at Dallas Stadium in Arlington.<\/p>\n Shafkat Anowar\/The Dallas Morning News<\/p>\n For this monthlong run as one of the 2026 World Cup\u2019s 16 host venues across the United States, Mexico and Canada, AT&T Stadium was temporarily renamed Dallas Stadium<\/a> to satisfy FIFA\u2019s corporate sponsor guidelines.<\/p>\n Since its 2009 opening, the stadium has hosted an array of major sporting events.\u00a0<\/p>\n The 2010 NBA All-Star Game. The 2011 Super Bowl. The 2014 NCAA Final Four. The inaugural College Football Playoff title game in 2015. And WrestleMania in 2016 and 2022.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI think we found out over the last few weeks that there\u2019s nothing like a World Cup,\u201d said Cowboys vice president of business operations Chad Estis.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n \u201cWhen we started this, FIFA told us, \u2018Get ready for 100 Super Bowls.\u2019 I don\u2019t know if I totally align with that, but [Tuesday\u2019s semifinal] feels like a Super Bowl.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Icy weather hampered 2010\u2019s NBA All-Star weekend and the following February\u2019s Super Bowl week, but Mother Nature\u2019s only effect during the monthlong World Cup was North Texas\u2019 typical June and July heat<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n Which of course was a nonissue during matches in the climate-controlled stadium. In part to make sure it was extra-ready for this World Cup, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones signed off on a $350 million \u201crefresh\u201d that was completed last year.\u00a0<\/p>\n The reaction of many international fans, looking wide-eyed while walking through the concourses and gawking at the gargantuan videoboard, was reminiscent of local fans in the stadium\u2019s early years.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cFor me personally, it\u2019s been fun to walk our stadium and see people that have never seen a stadium like that and be in awe of everything,\u201d Estis said. \u201cThere\u2019s a reputation of our stadium that we\u2019re proud of\u00a0\u2014 and I think it met the moment.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Pyrotechnics explode following the national anthems for Spain and France during a World Cup semifinal match at Dallas Stadium in Arlington, July 14, 2026.<\/p>\n Tom Fox\/The Dallas Morning News<\/p>\n North Texas FIFA World Cup organizing committee members expressed similar sentiments about the region in general<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n For more than a month, Dallas\u2019 Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center has hosted about 2,000 media workers from around the world in the 485,000-square-foot International Broadcast Center<\/a>.<\/p>\n Local, state and federal government officials collaborated to ensure smooth operation logistics like security, emergency preparedness and transportation.\u00a0<\/p>\n North Texas\u2019 host role isn\u2019t quite over. The FIFA Fan Festival, open for 34 days in a 39-day span, will be fully operational for fans who want to watch Saturday\u2019s third-place match in Miami and Sunday\u2019s championship game.\u00a0<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Spain fans react after a first half goal while watching a World Cup semifinal match against France at FIFA Fan Festival on Tuesday, July 14, 2026, in Dallas.<\/p>\n El\u00edas Valverde II\/The Dallas Morning News<\/p>\n \u201cOver these past several weeks, fans from every corner of the globe filled our stadiums, our parks, our restaurants, our neighborhoods, our hotels and our hearts,\u201d said Monica Paul, president of North Texas\u2019 organizing committee<\/a> and executive director of the Dallas Sports Commission.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cDifferent languages were spoken. Different flags were waved. Different songs were sung. \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cYet everyone shared something in common: a love for the beautiful game, and a belief that sport has the power to unite us all. Dallas has always been known for thinking big, but this summer, we didn\u2019t just think big. We welcomed the world in a way that reflected the very best of who we are.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Before Tuesday, the most high-profile soccer match in North Texas history occurred July 9, 1994, when Brazil beat Netherlands 3-2 in the quarterfinals in Cotton Bowl, the last of six matches played there that year.\u00a0<\/p>\n Dan Hunt, Co-Chair of North Texas FWC Organizing Committee speaks during a press conference about the FIFA World Cup, on Monday, July 13, 2026 in Dallas.<\/p>\n Shafkat Anowar\/The Dallas Morning News<\/p>\n Teenager Dan Hunt was a ballboy during that World Cup. He hasn\u2019t missed a World Cup since 1986, along with older brother Clark keeping alive the Hunt family\u2019s passion for all things soccer<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n It was their father, Lamar, who after watching England win the 1966 World Cup decided to start a professional league in America, the NASL, and to co-found one of its teams, the Dallas Tornado.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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