Representatives of the Inpower IQ Performance Center, located in south McKinney on Alma Road, presented a plan for the development of a soccer field on city-owned land adjacent to the business’s existing facility at the meeting. The proposed field would round out the facility's needs to serve as a training site.
City Council members expressed a unanimous interest in pursuing an agreement that would allow for the development of the field and supporting its potential use as a training site.
The specifics
The land use request would include constructing a “FIFA-sized” soccer field that could accommodate training for a team playing in the 2026 World Cup, Parks and Recreation Director Amy Kinkade said at the meeting.
Kinkade said the facility has already received preliminary approval from FIFA to serve as a training site for a World Cup team. The facility would serve as a home base for the team, facilitating training, meals and accommodations while the team is not traveling to play in matches, she said.
To qualify to serve as a training site, the facility has to meet certain requirements including having the proposed field on-site, as well as having lights, dressing rooms, spectator seating, parking and more. Inpower IQ’s existing athletic facility meets the indoor requirements, but currently lacks the outdoor soccer field.
The proposed field would be constructed on an undeveloped 4.4 acre site purchased by the city through bond funding in 2017. The land was initially planned to accommodate a future expansion of the StarCenter but is currently undeveloped.
Representatives of Inpower IQ Performance Center requested a license agreement to construct the field on city owned land, as the business’s site is not large enough to accommodate the field, the presentation stated. They also requested a letter of intent from the city expressing support for the project that would be included in the submission that Inpower IQ representatives will submit to FIFA.
The context
It was announced in February that the Dallas-Fort Worth area would host a total of nine matches for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, including the semi-final match.
Daniel Lanni, executive director of Inpower IQ, said the organization has experience working with Premier League clients, noting that the organization can meet the needs of these teams. The facility currently surpasses some minimum requirements for a professional team’s needs, he said.
“We actually stand ... to be one of the top facilities in the Dallas-Fort Worth area to get picked,” Lanni said. “We personally believe we're going to get a top-10 or a top-15 type of team.”
Diving in deeper
The land would be returned to the city following the World Cup, Kinkade said, but project representatives noted that it would be beneficial for them to retain use of the field for a few years following the event.
“We would like it for a few extra years after the World Cup, so that way we can recoup our money, but yes, we understand that this is going to be a temporary use,” Lanni said.
Lanni said qualified teams would indicate their home base preference from a list of approved training sites, but that Inpower IQ representatives would ultimately select the team based at the facility.
“We can then come forward [to the council], or we can do it internally, to where we can pick a team together, so that way it's best suited for the community what type of team that we're receiving in the general area,” Lanni said.
Lanni noted that with a World Cup team training in the city, it would attract fans and tourists that would spend money in McKinney. However, security is top priority for teams, he said, noting that the facility would not be open for spectators to see live training.
Lance Wilson, executive vice president of Inpower IQ, said the region will see an economic impact north of $300 million. The city could see spending from tourism through hotel stays and sales tax, he said. Wilson also noted the selection would also be accompanied by a contract to pay for city emergency services.
“It's the largest sports event in the whole world and every time it comes to the United States, it doubles what the previous record was,” Wilson said, referring to the economic impact.
Also of note
Council member Patrick Cloutier said he would like to see the expansion of the StarCenter take place on the site, but doesn’t expect it to happen in the coming years.
“The intention was to put a third sheet of ice there for hockey,” Cloutier said. “We're a ways away from that right now and I don't see how we're going to get there.”
Looking ahead
Council members unanimously indicated interest in city staff pursuing an agreement with Inpower IQ representatives for the development of the soccer field, with Mayor Pro Tem Geré Feltus absent.
Other details regarding the timeline for the project were not discussed, but City Manager Paul Grimes said the timeline to finalize the license agreement would be “pretty aggressive.” Announcements regarding the teams and their base camp selections are expected in December 2025, according to the presentation.
