A nearly completed stadium in Mansfield, Texas, is vying to become a training base for World Cup teams, even as no squads have officially chosen North Texas for the 2026 tournament.
The $40 million Texas Health Mansfield Stadium must be finished by May to qualify as a FIFA base camp, city officials told Fox 4 KDFW. Construction crews installed fresh grass last week and expect to complete the video board next week.
The timing matters because North Texas will host nine World Cup matches — more than any other city. Yet prominent teams, including England, Germany, and Argentina, have already selected base camps in other states, leaving local officials scrambling to attract the remaining squads.
“I’m hearing we still have some national teams who are shopping,” Mayor Michael Evans said, per Fox 4. “I want to make a pitch to them that you can’t have a better venue than beautiful Mansfield, Texas.”
The stadium sits along State Highway 360 as part of a broader entertainment development. It will serve as home to North Texas Soccer Club, a developmental affiliate of MLS team FC Dallas.
Mansfield competes with three other North Texas sites for base camp designation: Texas Christian University, the University of North Texas, and Toyota Stadium in Frisco. These facilities would house teams and provide training grounds during the month-long tournament, which will take place from June 14 to July 14.
Several national teams toured the Mansfield facility after December’s draw determined which countries would play in Arlington.
“Once the draw happened, we knew who would be here locally. We had a good number of teams come through and check the stadium out,” said Tim Roberts, Mansfield’s tourism manager, Fox 4 reported.
Monica Paul, executive director of the Dallas Sports Commission, noted that base camp selections remain fluid.
“We also know that there are teams yet to qualify,” Paul said, per Fox 4. “In certain locations, the national teams themselves maybe have made some announcements, but FIFA has not officially, and I think that’s going to take shape by the end of March.”
The stakes extend beyond soccer glory. Roberts said hotels are already seeing “big rates and big interest in Mansfield in the weeks surrounding the games.”
Six teams have yet to qualify for the expanded 48-team tournament. FIFA expects to finalize all base camp assignments after those spots are filled in March.
Despite the high-profile rejections, North Texas organizers remain hopeful. The region’s nine matches include several group-stage games and at least one knockout-round match at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, offering plenty of incentive for teams to stay local rather than fly in from distant bases.