During a Fort Worth City Council work session Sept. 23, Mitch Whitten, Visit Fort Worth chief operating officer; Mike Crum, city of Fort Worth public events director; and Sonny Saxton, city of Fort Worth emergency management and communications director, all talked about various projects in the works.
Current situation
Whitten announced Visit Fort Worth has launched a soccer-specific website to promote tourism to the city as the World Cup takes place June 11 to July 19 in North America. AT&T Stadium in Arlington will host nine games, but Fort Worth plans to have a role in the events surrounding the soccer tournament.
“It is a once-in-a-generation event to really showcase the city and showcase the engaged businesses here and abroad,” he said.
During the meeting, Whitten announced that Billy Bob’s Texas was chosen to be the regional watch party for the World Cup draw Dec. 5.
Starting at 11 a.m. local time and noon in Washington, D.C., the International Federation of Association Football, or FIFA, will announce what teams will play in the 2026 World Cup and the pool in which each is assigned, according to the FIFA website.
Whitten said the Fort Worth event will run from 11 a.m to 2 p.m., with music, events and celebrities. He said more information on that event will be forthcoming.
Some context
Whitten said the World Cup is expected to have a $1.5 billion regional economic impact and have more than 100,000 visitors a day in North Texas.
He said one of the city's goals is to drive visitors to come 30 miles west of the soccer venue to experience Fort Worth.
He listed engaging media and corporate partners as a key to that, which includes Texas Christian University, transit agency Trinity Metro, arena Cowtown Coliseum, the Fort Worth Stockyards, Sundance Square and TX Whiskey distillery.
He said a third of the city’s hotels are in the downtown area, and the Dallas Area Rapid Transit has the Orange Line and Blue Line for light rail, along with TEXRail lines from Trinity Metro, which will be essential to get visitors to destinations in Fort Worth.
The setup
Whitten said even before the World Cup arrives, the city has lined up more than 300,000 visitors in the first part of next year through a variety of sporting events and conventions.
The latter includes the 98th Texas FFA State Convention, which will be held July 6-10 at the Fort Worth Convention Center. Whitten said Dickie’s Arena will host the NCAA Division I women’s Sweet 16 and Elite 8 games in March and the Federation Equestre Internationale will host its Dressage and Jumping World Cup in April. Whitten called it the premier equestrian event in the world.
What else?
Crum said the city is still unsure if TCU will host a team and, if so, what country will be coming to Cowtown to practice throughout the World Cup.
He said it could be any country, from France to Liechtenstein.
Crum said the World Cup, on a scale, will be larger than any men’s or women’s basketball Final Four, any political convention and a Super Bowl.
“One way or the other, we’ve got to be ready,” he said. “The world’s eyes will be on the metroplex in June and July of this upcoming summer.”
