Nine matches of the World Cup will take place in North Texas. The arena for these contests will be AT&T Stadium in Arlington. However, as it turns out, this name will be temporarily changed for the tournament. Not everyone is pleased with this decision. What will be the name of the venue?

Dallas Stadium

In early February, FIFA announced that Dallas would host nine matches during the 2026 World Cup. This is the most among all cities across the three host countries: five group stage matches, three knockout matches, and a semifinal. Although events related to the World Cup will likely occur throughout North Texas, nine matches will be played at AT&T Stadium, the home of Dallas Cowboys, in Arlington.

A press release stated that during the tournament, AT&T Stadium will be renamed Dallas Stadium to comply with FIFA's policy prohibiting corporate sponsorship of venues where matches are played. The name was chosen in honor of the largest city in the region, Dallas, so the stadium's name will follow suit.

© Grzegorz Kaliciak

What does the community think?

Social media was abuzz with activity. Residents attached to the current name of the venue are protesting against this change. I'm surprised they didn't try to change Arlington's name when they were already working on the candidacy, Tarrant County says no, we protest! On the other hand, Arlington Mayor Jim Ross has a different opinion: Dallas is the largest city in North Texas. It makes sense to call the tournament the World Cup in Dallas. It doesn't bother me, it doesn't bother me. I don't care, Ross said in an interview with NBC 5. They'll play in Arlington, they'll live and train throughout North Texas, so we'll all benefit from it, and it doesn't bother us.

The mayor added that this success is the effort of the entire community, not just the result of the work of Arlington's leaders, and that many cities in North Texas will benefit from hosting matches in Arlington. He particularly praised Monika Paul and her team from the Dallas Sports Commission for the hard work they put in to secure the region's candidacy.

Of course, this case is not isolated. Every venue with a commercial company in its name will have to undergo a change. This applies to all arenas in the United States, BMO Field in Canada, and the stadiums Akron and BBVA in Mexico.

© Grzegorz Kaliciak