Four members of Fort Worth city council traveled to Spain to promote the city to one of Europe’s most-popular soccer teams.
Council members Cary Moon, Jared Williams, Michael Crain and Chris Nettles visited Spain from April 13-15 to observe FC Barcelona’s soccer complex and La Masia youth academy, according to minutes from a March 29 city council meeting. The Fort Worth officials also met with FC Barcelona leadership to discuss partnership possibilities to bring high-level soccer and international tourism to Fort Worth.
The international trip came about because the City of Fort Worth and Keller Independent School District are exploring options to build a 10,000-seat stadium in north Fort Worth.
Earlier this year, Fort Worth held an online survey to measure community support for the public-private partnership stadium. In addition to seeking partnership with FC Barcelona, Community Impact Newspaper reported the facility would be home to a United Soccer League Championship men's team, a USL Super women’s team and a soccer development academy. Keller ISD would also be able to use the stadium for high school sports and other events.
The proposed location for the soccer stadium is located at the northeast corner of Basswood Boulevard and I-35W. The facility would also have fields for recreational and tournament use, according to Mitch Whitten, chief operating officer of Visit Fort Worth.
On March 29, Whitten told the city council that Fort Worth has a need for outdoor fields for soccer or lacrosse. A report by the Fort Worth Sports Authority found that residents are leaving the city for games and tournaments, taking sports and tourism dollars outside the city.
“We’re missing an opportunity to generate new revenue and new room nights,” Whitten said. “Even the Fort Worth Youth Soccer Association says they do not have enough fields for the current number of youth who want to participate. A multipurpose outdoor youth complex would benefit locals and visitors.”
The 2026 World Cup will have three host countries, Canada, Mexico and the United States. Eleven U.S. cities are expected to host games during the international tournament and FIFA expects to make final decisions on host cities in May.
“If the region is selected to hold the 2026 World Cup, the ranks of soccer players in the international spotlight will be on us even more,” Whitten said.
