{"id":79510,"date":"2025-12-07T18:15:18","date_gmt":"2025-12-07T18:15:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/79510\/"},"modified":"2025-12-07T18:15:18","modified_gmt":"2025-12-07T18:15:18","slug":"d-fw-world-cup-organizers-reap-rewards-of-years-of-work-with-messi-argentina-confirmed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/79510\/","title":{"rendered":"D-FW World Cup organizers reap rewards of years of work with Messi, Argentina confirmed"},"content":{"rendered":"

Tears flowed and emotions ran high as FIFA confirmed that the reigning world champions, and arguably the greatest player of all time<\/a>, will take the field at AT&T Stadium for World Cup matches.<\/p>\n

The North Texas FIFA World Cup<\/a> Organizing Committee may have felt a tinge of disappointment at missing out on hosting the 2026 Final. Yet consolation came in the form of AT&T Stadium<\/a> being awarded the largest slate of matches in the tournament, nine in total, including a coveted semifinal.<\/p>\n

That reward grew even sweeter on Saturday.<\/p>\n

When FIFA unveiled the group-stage schedule, it handed five matches to the Cowboys<\/a>\u2019 home turf, two of them featuring Lionel Messi and Argentina.<\/p>\n

Sports Roundup<\/p>\n

Get the latest D-FW sports news, analysis and opinion delivered straight to your inbox. Plus, Kevin Sherrington’s A La Carte.<\/p>\n

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Related<\/p>\n

\"AT&T<\/p>\n

Argentina will take the field in Arlington on June 22 against Austria and again on June 27 versus Jordan, both fixtures in Group J.<\/p>\n

The stadium Jerry Jones built in Arlington will also stage two Group F clashes: the Netherlands vs. Japan on June 14, and Japan against a European playoff qualifier on June 25.<\/p>\n

The other group stage contest at AT&T Stadium will be a heavyweight showdown in Group L, with England facing Croatia on June 17.<\/p>\n

In all, North Texas will welcome a dazzling lineup: Two former world champions (Argentina and England), a three-time runner-up (the Netherlands), and a nation that has finished in the top three of the last two World Cups (Croatia).<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a very emotional moment,\u201d Monica Paul, the president of the North Texas FIFA World Cup Organizing Committee, said from Washington after the World Cup schedule was announced.<\/p>\n

Three years ago, Dallas was officially named a World Cup host city<\/a>. But the local organizing committee has worked tirelessly for eight years to transform the region into a true epicenter of the world\u2019s biggest sporting event.<\/p>\n

When asked if she realized the historical legacy this meant for the region, Paul paused for a moment, fighting back tears. After regaining her composure, she spoke while her voice trembled with emotion.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s incredibly moving to see everything come to life. Over the past eight years, so many people have helped us reach this point. I\u2019m proud of what we\u2019ve been able to accomplish,\u201d Paul said.<\/p>\n

Paul noted that with the teams now confirmed to play at AT&T Stadium, it won\u2019t be long before decisions are made on which squad will select North Texas as their base camp.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve already met with several teams, and site visits are scheduled this week, possibly starting as early as tomorrow [Sunday] and continuing through next week,\u201d Paul said. \u201cWe\u2019ll be showcasing our base camps and training facilities. The teams are evaluating not only what works best for them, but also what will be most convenient for their fans.\u201d<\/p>\n

At Friday\u2019s group-stage draw<\/a> at the \u200b\u200bJohn F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, Dan Hunt, co-chair of the North Texas World Cup Organizing Committee, called the group seeding an early Christmas gift<\/a>, given the prospect of seeing top players and elite teams compete at AT&T Stadium.<\/p>\n

Related<\/p>\n

\"Former<\/p>\n

When Saturday brought the official confirmation of Messi\u2019s presence, alongside powerhouses Argentina, the Netherlands, and England, Hunt again leaned into the holiday spirit.<\/p>\n

\u201cToday was like opening your presents and finding the batteries already inside, fully charged, ready to enjoy,\u201d Hunt said.<\/p>\n

Messi\u2019s stature grows even larger ahead of the World Cup, after being crowned an MLS champion with Inter Miami CF on Saturday.<\/p>\n

Hunt emphasized that FIFA\u2019s decision to award AT&T Stadium five marquee group-stage matches was no coincidence.<\/p>\n

\u201c[FIFA] knew everything about us as a leadership team, our commitment to AT&T Stadium and what it can deliver, plus the facilities and infrastructure across the metroplex. That\u2019s what secured those five games,\u201d Hunt said. \u201cThere was intense competition for these matches, and FIFA had to decide where the strongest business and social case could be made. I think we did a great job of selling the metroplex, and I\u2019m as thrilled as I\u2019ve ever been. We truly won the lottery.\u201d<\/p>\n

As the son of Lamar Hunt, the pioneer of professional soccer not only in North Texas but across the United States, Dan Hunt expressed deep pride in contributing to both the growth of the sport and the broader community.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know what this will be. I understand what it means, but this isn\u2019t about me. I\u2019m grateful to have done this alongside so many great people\u201d, he said. \u201cOutside of being a dad, this is one of the greatest honors of my life. To be part of this, to share this passion with my fellow Texans. I hope it inspires a lifelong love of soccer and creates lasting memories for many people.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"<\/a>How to buy 2026 World Cup tickets for AT&T Stadium games featuring Lionel Messi, Argentina<\/a><\/p>\n

The next chance to apply for World Cup tickets, including specific matches in North Texas, opens next week on Dec. 11.<\/p>\n

\"AT&T<\/a>Lionel Messi, Argentina officially headed to AT&T Stadium for 2026 World Cup<\/a><\/p>\n

Arlington\u2019s AT&T Stadium will host a tournament-high nine matches in the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Japan, The Netherlands, Croatia and England will also feature.<\/p>\n

Find more World Cup coverage from The Dallas Morning News here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Tears flowed and emotions ran high as FIFA confirmed that the reigning world champions, and arguably the greatest…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":79511,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[150,8079,102,104,103,2124,3692,29003],"class_list":{"0":"post-79510","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-dallas","8":"tag-arlington","9":"tag-att-stadium","10":"tag-dallas","11":"tag-dallas-headlines","12":"tag-dallas-news","13":"tag-fc-dallas","14":"tag-world-cup","15":"tag-world-cup-2026"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/79510","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=79510"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/79510\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/79511"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=79510"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=79510"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=79510"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}