Dallas 'Optimistic' About Hosting 2026 FIFA World Cup Final amid AT&T Stadium Rumors

On Wednesday, Jack Bezants of the Daily Mail reported that Arlington's AT&T Stadium was chosen by FIFA to be the host site of the 2026 men's World Cup Final.

However, according to per Kyle Bonagura of ESPN, that decision has either not yet been finalized or not yet communicated to the Dallas Sports Commission, which remains hopeful that the home of the Dallas Cowboys will also serve as the host venue for the match:

The 2026 World Cup will be an unprecedented affair, as it will not only be the first time the tournament is expanded to 48 teams (previously 32), but it will also be hosted by three countries: The United States, Canada and Mexico.

In the United States, Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New York/New Jersey, Philadelphia, San Francisco/Bay Area and Seattle will serve as host sites.

In Canada, Toronto and Vancouver will host games.

And in Mexico, Guadalajara, Mexico City and Monterrey will be host sites.

It was originally believed that Inglewood's SoFi Stadium—home of the Los Angeles Rams and Chargers—would serve as the venue for the World Cup Final. Stan Kroenke, owner of the Rams, Arsenal, Denver Nuggets, the Colorado Avalanche and SoFi Stadium itself, has pushed to have the game held there.

The issue is that FIFA required a capacity of at least 80,000 people, and SoFi Stadium has never exceeded 73,000 spectators for an event. The field is also too narrow for a soccer pitch, and as Kevin Baxter of the Los Angeles Times reported in October, "bringing it up to snuff would require Kroenke to demolish some of the ground-level suites in the corners, further reducing capacity."

If Kroenke doesn't get the final, however, Baxter reported that "people close to the local World Cup organizing committee who are not authorized to speak publicly and requested anonymity, Kroenke could pull his Inglewood venue out of the tournament and the World Cup could wind up bypassing Southern California entirely."

Last week, however, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass confirmed that the city would remain a host site for the 2026 event:

For the moment, however, AT&T Stadium is the resounding favorite to host the final.