City officials in Mansfield, Texas, are optimistic about the completion of Texas Health Mansfield Stadium, which is slated to be ready by May. They are positioning the nearly finished facility as a prime candidate to serve as a base camp for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, pending official selections of national teams.
Currently, no national teams have formally committed to the North Texas region, but local leaders are actively marketing the stadium to teams still exploring their options. FIFA is expected to finalize base camp selections by the end of March, following the determination of the last six qualifying teams.
As construction progresses, a crane looms over the site along State Highway 360, with fresh grass recently laid down and a large video board set to be completed shortly. City officials assure that the project remains on schedule for a May finish, which is crucial for its consideration as a World Cup base camp.
Mayor Michael Evans expressed confidence in Mansfield’s appeal to national teams, stating, “I’m hearing we still have some national teams who are shopping. I want to make a pitch to them that you can’t have a better venue than beautiful Mansfield, Texas.” Once finished, the stadium will become home to the North Texas Soccer Club, which serves as the professional affiliate for MLS’ FC Dallas.
Mansfield’s Role in International Soccer
Evans characterized the stadium project as part of a larger entertainment initiative, dubbing Mansfield the “southern gateway” for professional soccer in North Texas, complementing the northern hub in Frisco. Alongside Mansfield, other potential base camp locations in the region include Texas Christian University, the University of North Texas, and Toyota Stadium in Frisco. These base camps will serve as both training and lodging sites for participating teams during the tournament.
Tim Roberts, Mansfield’s Tourism Manager, noted that several teams visited the facility following the World Cup draw, which indicated which nations would be competing locally. “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,” he said, highlighting growing interest in Mansfield as the tournament approaches.
Ongoing Developments and Team Selections
Monica Paul, executive director of the Dallas Sports Commission, remarked that base camp decisions are still in flux. “We know our base camp locations are still in contention. We also know that there are teams yet to qualify. In certain locations, the national teams themselves may have made some announcements, but FIFA has not officially, and I think that’s going to take shape by the end of March,” she explained.
North Texas is set to host nine matches during the World Cup, the highest number among host cities. Local officials anticipate that Mansfield will attract visitors to Arlington and its surroundings. Some top-ranked teams have already confirmed their base camp choices: Germany will be in North Carolina, Saudi Arabia in Austin, and England, the Netherlands, and Argentina will base in Kansas City, despite having matches at AT&T Stadium in Arlington. Japan has opted for Nashville, Croatia for Alexandria, Virginia, and Austria for Santa Barbara, California.
Currently, six teams have yet to qualify for the tournament. The North Texas organizing committee remains hopeful that one or more of these teams will ultimately select the region as their base.
