Frank Fox still remembers what it was like to be at what he calls the best game of the 1994 World Cup in Dallas.
Born and raised in Northern Ireland, he'd only been in Texas about five years when the state welcomed the world.
For $450, he claimed seats at six games and wouldn't be caught anywhere but in the stands at the Cotton Bowl, watching the nail-biting quarter final match that saw Brazil narrowly defeating The Netherlands 3-2.
Sitting at The Old Monk, his favorite Irish pub in Dallas, he recalls what it was like. The stadium was a mixed sea of the Orange Army, Dutch fans, wearing their namesake color and the green and yellow jerseys of Brazil fans. The shouts and chants imparted an electric feeling to the area.
It was his first time going to the World Cup in-person, but growing up in Northern Ireland he watched every tournament he could on TV.
His first memory of the tournament was in 1974.
"All the games were broadcast in black and white mostly as far as I recall, or maybe that's because we had a black and white TV at home," he said. "Just totally enthralled with those games, kept records of all the results, watched West Germany beat Holland in the final. There was big, big excitement then."
That final game ended with the West German team beating The Netherlands 2-1.
Four years later, he watched the games in color. Argentina hosted that one, and each Argentinian win was a spectacle.
"The abiding memory of Argentina in '78 is, of course, the color and all the confetti," Fox said. "Every time Argentina won, the confetti comes flowing out of the stands and the excitement of, you now, seeing a home nation win."
Now, as Dallas-Fort Worth prepares to see the most matches of the 2026 FIFA World Cup to be played in Arlington, he thinks the experience will be completely different from '94.
And it's something he's thrilled to see.
Millions of visitors from around the globe are expected in North Texas when the World Cup returns to the United States and the Lone Star State.
And in 100 days, the June 11 match will kick off the largest sporting tournament in the world when Mexico faces South Africa in the opening match of the World Cup at legendary Estadio Azteca.
The first game in Arlington comes three days later on June 14.
The world descends on North Texas
It's a match Arlington Mayor Jim Ross is especially excited about.
Japan will take on the Netherlands, the latter accompanied by the Orange Army expected to flood the streets in a pre-match march to AT&T Stadium (temporarily renamed Dallas Stadium, against the spirited protest of many in Arlington including Ross).
Ross, who was a fan of soccer long before North Texas won the bid to host the 2026 World Cup, is thrilled about the teams that will compete at Dallas Stadium, especially Japan, England, The Netherlands and Argentina, the defending world champs.
"Watching those guys play is just phenomenal," Ross said.
But the World Cup isn't just about what happens when teams take to the pitch and actually play, Ross said. The jovial atmosphere transcends the athletic competition and weaves itself into just about every event happening around it.
And Fox agrees.
From tens of thousands of Dutch fans expected to take to the streets of Arlington in the iconic Orange Army pre-match march to fan festivals at Fair Park in Dallas, Fox expects the excitement and pageantry will be unlike anything experienced in North Texas.
"For American sports, you kind of have to egg them along with little cheers and chants, whereas all the singing and chanting and stuff just come naturally to [the soccer fans], they don't need any prompts," Fox said.
The spectacle will happen over and over and over again, for 39 days, and Arlington's role is a special one.
The city will host more matches than any other with nine faceoffs and has several locations where teams can set up base camps. Deputy City Manager Jennifer Wichmann said it'll be like hosting the Super Bowl every day for more than a month.
"We're very excited for all of our international visitors who will be coming," she said. "I will say, we've got work to do between now and 100 days from now, but I think things are going very well and we're excited."
She says preparing for the World Cup has been a tall order, but one for which the city and its partners were well prepared. Planners have experience with major sporting events like the World Series, All-Star Game and Super Bowl.
Wichmann says Arlington's work will help ensure fans, no matter where they're from, can have a good time. There are still details the city, along with other municipalities close by and the North Texas FIFA World Cup Organizing committee, is working out — like plans for transportation and public safety.
There's a lot that's finalized or close to it, though. Like Ambassador Row, a space at Spark Coworking in Choctaw Stadium where diplomats from countries playing in Arlington or with large populations locally can offer embassy services.
A global destination
North Texas is expecting somewhere in the neighborhood of 4 million visitors from around the globe.
Fox says it's one of the most exciting parts of the World Cup experience and a vital ingredient in the allure of the tournament.
Fox moved to the U.S. in 1985 for a job at a software company in San Diego, then relocated to North Texas in '88 when the company was bought out.
He's excited for foreign visitors to see what he loves about this state and country and for Americans to encounter other cultures and embrace new experiences with an open mind.
"It's a chance for America to welcome the world and show them what America's like and maybe a chance to improve international relations," he said. "I would hope for maybe some of that to come out of us."
Organizers are excited about that, too.
Noelle LeVeaux, the North Texas FIFA World Cup Organizing Committee's chief marketing officer, said the committee already has plans for how to emphasize different cultures' traditions and culinary creations, including Texas' own.
"The fan festival, in particular, is going be a place where we will have that taste of Texas in the food and beverages," LeVeaux said. "There will be some opportunities for the taste of some of foods of the nations that are going to be here as well. So there is definitely that cultural exchange that will be happening, and we're trying to ensure that North Texans are ready for that global experience."
Training for hospitality industry workers will play a role in that prep work, she said. With so many different cultures and traditions converging on North Texas for more than a month, the opportunities to learn something new and share in novel experiences will feel endless.
Signage will have a myriad of languages, volunteers and employees will undergo training in different cultures and, of course, food will be a focal point for many.
Wichmann said that exchange will go both ways. She's excited to see different cuisines from across the planet shared with the diverse crowds expected and said the city wants to help local restaurants promote local food.
"Whether folks are coming here and looking for a really good Tex-Mex taco that they want to come and just try that while they're here in Texas, or if they really want to connect with food that tastes like home, we probably have a restaurant that would suit them," she said.
Plenty of places to enjoy a game
Can't get a ticket to a match? Fox said that's not a problem. There are a lot more matches this year, and so, too, are there a lot of opportunities to watch and get immersed in the energy.
Pubs and sports bars will overflow with fans from countless countries, he said. Even those who can't get into the stadium will fly from around the world just to be close to the action.
"What soccer fans love to do in general is head to breweries and pubs before the games, have a few pints, then head off en masse to the stadium and I think, hopefully, Arlington has some sort of set up where they can do that," he said.
That's where you're likely to find Ross for the games he can't make it to: out with the other fans. He owns Hearsay, a restaurant and cocktail bar he owns at Choctaw Stadium, and will probably be found there for some of the festivities.
Between games he hopes visitors will spend time in the city, visiting its eateries and watering holes but also exploring the National Medal of Honor Museum, Six Flags and Hurricane Harbor.
For his part, Fox will be at The Old Monk and the Fan Festival at Fair Park for some matches and said he might be spotted at a pub in Arlington a time or two.
"Dallas and Arlington are pretty darn lucky because, in all likelihood, they'll have some very passionate fans here, if the Dutch show up especially, and the English show up in force," Fox said. "You're going to get just embroiled in that. You're going to have to come out to some of the pubs on Greenville Avenue or Knox-Henderson and join the fans."
The World Cup's legacy
Organizers are also looking ahead to after the World Cup.
The last time Texas hosted the tournament, Major League Soccer was left behind as its legacy. LeVeaux hopes to build on that.
FIFA will build 26 mini pitches in North Texas, places for children and teens (especially in under resourced communities) can gather to play, foster community and build an interest in soccer.
Wichmann and Ross both hope that legacy will see interest in soccer skyrocket, and with it bring new ways for people to build community, bridge gaps and help neighbors embrace each others' heritage and cultural backgrounds.
Fox said neighbors unfamiliar with the World Cup may be shocked by the magnitude of the celebration surrounding it.
But the Beautiful Game still stands at the center of all of it.
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