Arlington’s AT&T Stadium will be a main character at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The home of the Dallas Cowboys will host nine matches, including a semifinal, the most of any host site in what will be the largest World Cup in history, with 48 teams competing across three countries.
North Texas has six locations ready to be chosen as base camps for some of the participating tournament’s national teams.
FIFA has designated the fields and facilities of the University of Dallas, TCU, Dallas Baptist University, the University of North Texas, Mansfield Multipurpose Stadium and Toyota Stadium (home of FC Dallas) as base camps for the World Cup.
The FIFA Team Base Camps are official locations where teams train and reside during the tournament. Each camp was evaluated for its ability to offer comfort, accessibility and performance-level amenities for players and staff.
“Essentially, a base camp is the team’s home away from home during the World Cup,” said J.D. Wood, the team and venue services manager of the Dallas 2026 World Cup organizing committee.
The World Cup will be played in the United States, Mexico and Canada, and each host city has presented a list of base camps available to participating teams.
So far there are 62 base camps available for teams to choose from.
Teams will submit their final selections following the FIFA World Cup 26 final draw.
The draw will reveal the geographic zones in which teams will play their group matches, further guiding their decisions regarding their team base camp locations.
Wood said that to be designated as a base camp the venues had to meet specific requirements, such as pitch quality, locker rooms, storage goals and media meeting rooms.
Each base camp has been paired with a nearby hotel where the team will stay.
Not all six base camps in North Texas may be used.
“Each team will decide which base camp best suits their needs and then choose the one,” Wood said.
Wood believes the base camps in North Texas will be highly sought after because of their geographic location, making it easier for teams to fly to games from DFW and Love Field.
The base camps will be a natural attraction for fans who want to be close to the teams competing in the World Cup, and that’s why security around the venues will be key, protecting the safety of players and coaches.
“Our safety and security team would do everything we need to conform to FIFA’s expectations,” Wood said.
He said the teams will decide how much access they will give fans to coexist with the players within the base camps.
Wood hopes that all teams that choosing camps in North Texas will leave with a pleasant impression of the region.
“We think that the way we approach customer service in Dallas and in the North Texas region is special. We want everyone to welcome visitors from different communities and cultures with open arms.” Wood said. “It all comes down to our Texas hospitality.”
A look at North Texas Team Base Camps
TCU
Garvey-Rosenthal Soccer Stadium
Year opened: 2000
Field surface: Natural grass
Jane Justin Field House
Year opened: 2010
Address: Garvey-Rosenthal Soccer Complex 3600 West Berry St., Fort Worth
The TCU training site boasts 1,500 seats and features playing and workout spaces, a press box and dressing rooms.
TCU has one primary soccer field, the Garvey-Rosenthal Soccer Stadium. In August 2010, the newest addition to the Garvey-Rosenthal Soccer Stadium was completed, the Jane Justin Field House. The newest TCU athletics complex is approximately 5,000 square feet and includes home and visitor locker rooms in addition to a training room, offices, a lounge area and a wraparound raised viewing terrace.
Additionally, the Campus Recreation Field-Berry, used for intramural sports, includes soccer fields.
FIFA has designated the Sheraton Fort Worth Downtown Hotel as the pairing hotel for this base camp.
Dallas Baptist University
Patriot Soccer Field
Year opened: 2012
Field surface: Natural grass
Address: 3000 Mountain Creek Pkwy, Dallas
Patriot Soccer Field is home to the DBU men’s and women’s soccer teams. Located just below the Burg Center and adjacent to Horner Ballpark, it is one of the nation’s elite NCAA Division II soccer facilities.
Since 2012, Patriot Soccer Field has hosted seven NCAA South Central regional tournaments. It also hosted the 2021 NCAA Division II women’s soccer national quarterfinals.
Additionally, the campus features Sedwick Soccer Fieldhouse, home of the women’s soccer Team since 2014.
The venue is one of the premier soccer facilities in the nation. It features a state-of-the-art press box, coaches’ offices and a locker room with 30 customized wooden lockers.
The Westin Dallas Downtown is the pairing hotel for this base camp.
Toyota Stadium
Year opened: 2005
Field surface: Natural grass
Address: 9200 World Cup Way, Frisco
The FC Dallas Training Center at Toyota Stadium provides elite Bermuda grass pitches and dedicated soccer facilities used by MLS side FC Dallas. The Frisco venue has 17 fields, 16 of which are lighted.
There are seven sand-based fields, including the main Stadium Field, FC Dallas Adidas Field and five general-use fields. There are also eight native soil fields.
Each field has subsurface drainage, which feeds into a perimeter drain loop that leads to the retention ponds. The water in the retention ponds is used to irrigate the fields.
The Toyota Stadium facilities include a press box and dressing rooms.
The UMB Bank Performance Center, owned and operated by FC Dallas and located less than a mile from Toyota Stadium, has two indoor soccer fields.
The Westin Dallas Stonebriar Golf Resort & Spa is the pairing hotel for this base camp.
University of Dallas
Year opened: Configured in 2018
Field surface: Natural grass
Address: 1755 E Northgate Dr, Irving
The University of Dallas provides a premier training site with 283 hectares of secluded, controlled-access fields, centrally located between DFW International Airport and Love Field. The field is used by the University of Dallas’ men’s and women’s soccer teams. The soccer field is a standard regulation field, measuring 250 x 385 feet, suitable for hosting high school and college games. It has a four-pole lighting system designed to minimize glare. The surrounding area features upgraded plantings. The university has partnered with Solar Soccer Club to improve the field, including adding more seating.
The Omni Las Colinas Hotel is the pairing hotel for this base camp.
University of North Texas
Year opened: 2019
Field surface: Natural grass
Address: 1155 Union Cir, Denton
UNT opened its soccer and track and field stadium in spring 2019. It is located next to the Waranch Tennis Complex in the Mean Green Village.
Brown, Reynolds, and Watford Architects designed the facility. Pogue Construction, which also built the Greek Life Center on the UNT campus and Allen High School football’s Eagle Stadium, was the general contractor.
The venue has a 14,000-square-foot fieldhouse, a sand-based soccer field, an eight-lane track, facilities for field events and seating for approximately 1,500, including some covered seating and chair-back seats. The stadium also includes new coaches’ offices, locker rooms, a team meeting area and a student-athlete lounge.
The Embassy Suites by Hilton Denton Convention Center is the pairing hotel for this base camp.
Mansfield Multipurpose Stadium
Opening in early 2026, Mansfield Stadium will feature state-of-the-art facilities, including team-specific areas with immediate pitch access, providing a professional environment tailored to elite soccer preparation. Starting next year, the site will serve as the home venue for North Texas Soccer Club, the MLS NEXT Pro of FC Dallas.
Upon completion, REV Entertainment and FC Dallas will operate the venue and collaborate on efforts to bring events and sports programming to the facility, including youth soccer and international tournaments.
The state-of-the-art facility will feature 7,000-plus fixed seats. The stadium will have four locker rooms, suites, loges and a club space.
The $85 million Mansfield Multipurpose Stadium will be the centerpiece of the Staybolt Street Entertainment District. It is a public-private partnership that will be owned by the city.
The Hilton Garden Inn Dallas/Arlington South is the pairing hotel for this base camp.
Find more World Cup coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.