Issuu

NORTH TEXAS FWC ORGANIZING COMMITTEE

MARCH 2026

FROM THE PITCH

TABLE OF CONTENTS 02

Letter from the President

North Texas FWC Organizing Committee Unveils Plans for FIFA Fan Festival™ Dallas to Be Free & Open to the Public June 11 – July 19

03 FC Dallas Stadium and Mansfield Stadium Selected as FIFA World Cup 2026™ Team Base Camp Training Sites

07 Paul’s Female-led Organizing Committee Signals New Frontier in Sports

15 Human Rights Action Plan / Growing a Greener North Texas

16 North Texas Community Cleanup Challenge

Rendering FIFA Fan Festival™ Dallas

Monica Paul

FROM THE PRESIDENT Welcome to the final stretch. With fewer than 100 days until the FIFA World Cup™ arrives in North Texas, the excitement across our region is building every day. What once felt far away is now right around the corner, and it is incredible to see our communities, partners, and fans coming together to prepare to welcome the world. We recently marked the 100 Days to Go milestone with an exciting announcement for our region. FC Dallas Stadium in Frisco and Mansfield Stadium were officially designated as FIFA World Cup 2026™ Team Base Camp Training Sites. During the tournament, national teams will live and train here, bringing some of the best players in the world directly into our communities. Later this month, the European Playoff matches will determine which teams ultimately call North Texas home during the tournament. Like many of you, I will be watching those matches with great anticipation to see which nations earn their place. Our coalition of supporters continues to grow as well. We were proud to welcome UT Southwestern Medical Center as an Official Dallas Host City Supporter. Their leadership and commitment to our region will play an important role as we prepare to host this historic event. We also recently shared plans for the official FIFA Fan Festival™ Dallas at Fair Park. For 34 match days, fans from across North Texas and around the world will gather to celebrate the tournament together in one of the most vibrant and welcoming spaces in our city. The countdown is on, and we are ready to show the world the spirit, hospitality, and pride of North Texas. Cheers,

Monica Paul, NTFWCOC President

STADIUMS SELECTED AS FIFA WORLD CUP 2026™ TEAM BASE CAMPS

From left, Monica Paul, Dan Hunt, Frisco Mayor Jeff Cheney, Mansfield Mayor Michael Evans

FC DALLAS STADIUM AND MANSFIELD STADIUM SELECTED AS FIFA WORLD CUP 2026™ TEAM BASE CAMP TRAINING SITES DALLAS — FC Dallas Stadium and Mansfield Stadium have been officially designated as FIFA World Cup 2026™ Team Base Camp Training Sites, further solidifying North Texas as a key operational hub for the world’s premier sporting event. As part of FIFA World Cup 2026™ Team Base Camp program, two of the final six remaining qualified national teams will be assigned by FIFA to train and operate at FC Dallas Stadium in Frisco and Mansfield Stadium in Mansfield. Team Base Camp Training Sites function as the primary training and operational headquarters for participating teams throughout the tournament.

“We are thrilled that both FC Dallas Stadium and Mansfield Stadium have been selected as Team Base Camp Training Sites for FIFA World Cup 2026,” said Monica Paul, President of the North Texas FWC Organizing Committee. “North Texas had multiple outstanding facilities and municipalities that submitted strong proposals during the selection process. While many were deserving, we are honored to have two sites chosen and are confident both will represent our region at the highest standard.” FC Dallas Stadium meets FIFA’s technical and operational requirements, offering multiple training pitches, elite performance and recovery amenities, and secure team environments designed for international competition.

STADIUMS SELECTED AS FIFA WORLD CUP 2026™ TEAM BASE CAMPS Based on the current qualification pathway, FC Dallas Stadium will host the winner of UEFA Play-Off Path B. The four national teams competing in that pathway are: Albania Poland Sweden Ukraine “This is an incredible honor for FC Dallas, Frisco, Mansfield and all of North Texas,” said Dan Hunt, President of FC Dallas and Co-Chair of the North Texas FWC Organizing Committee. “Being selected as Team Base Camp Training Sites reinforces what we’ve believed for a long time – that this region is the epicenter of FIFA World Cup 2026. These facilities reflect years of investment in infrastructure, player development, and community partnerships. We’re proud to play a role in hosting the world’s best teams and to welcome the soccer world to our local community.” “The World Cup is finally here,” said Mayor Jeff Cheney, City of Frisco. “We’ve been looking forward to this (event) for years. We’re excited to host fans from all over the world and ‘roll out the red carpet’ for those visitors and our residents.”

Under the current qualification structure, Mansfield Stadium will host the winner of UEFA Play-Off Path D. The national teams competing in that pathway are: Czech Republic Denmark North Macedonia Republic of Ireland “Opening Mansfield Stadium as a Team Base Camp is an incredible opportunity and a defining moment for the venue,” said Sean Decker, President of REV Entertainment, which serves as the operator of Mansfield Stadium. “We are especially grateful to the City of Mansfield, the Hunt family, and our partners at FC Dallas for their vision, collaboration, and support in making this possible. We look forward to serving as a host on soccer’s national stage and delivering a world-class experience for an elite national team.” “We look forward to showing our guests the Southern hospitality Mansfield is known for,” Mansfield Mayor Michael Evans said. “With Mansfield Stadium and the Staybolt District lining up perfectly with the biggest sporting event in the world, Mansfield will make the most of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

Mansfield Stadium complements the region’s base camp portfolio with modern infrastructure, professional-grade training capacity and operational capabilities aligned with FIFA standards for participating teams. Mansfield Stadium is the future home of North Texas Soccer Club.

Team Base Camp Training Sites play a critical role in the FIFA World Cup™, providing qualified national teams with consistent, highquality training and operational environments during the competition phase. Final team assignments will be confirmed by FIFA following the completion of the official qualification process.

FC Dallas Stadium

Mansfield Stadium

FEMALE-LED ORGANIZING COMMITTEE

From left, Diana Rosas, Noelle LeVeaux, Anita Simmons, Cindy Solomon, Colleen Joyce, Monica Paul, Jaime Cabrera, Allie Dunlap, Naya Sharp, Jacqueline Rutledge, Dee Ann Hirsch, Jenny McGhee, Madyson Lesley. Not pictured, Gillian Breidenbach, Minal Davis, Meghna Tare, Ginger Lively Cade.

PAUL’S FEMALE-LED ORGANIZING COMMITTEE SIGNALS NEW FRONTIER IN SPORTS

By Jon Arnold Photography provided by FIFA

Monica Paul was on the hunt for the best and the brightest. As the Executive Director for the Dallas Sports Commission and the President of the North Texas FWC Organizing Committee, Paul was putting together a dream team. “I try to go about it looking for who is the expert, who is the best person, that can get that job done and continue to have us at the highest level,” Paul explained. Whether it be Human Rights, Sustainability, Partnerships, Donor Relations, Marketing, Events, Accommodations, Volunteer Services or another sector, Paul wanted the right people working in each department bringing the World Cup to North Texas to life.

Glance at the “Our Team” section of the North Texas FWC Organizing Committee website and you’ll see the smiling faces of the group working to make sure the nine FIFA World Cup 2026 matches taking place in North Texas are a success - and that they leave a positive legacy long after the final whistle blows on the July 14 semifinal. Keep looking, and you may see a pattern. There are double the number of women than there are men, a rarity in the world of sports. That didn’t happen on purpose. Paul was searching for the best people, and ended up finding a number of talented women who are leading the way into the summer of 2026.

FEMALE-LED ORGANIZING COMMITTEE

“We are women-led, but we are a very diverse organization,” said Noelle LeVeaux, the Chief Marketing Officer. “For us, it is just about having the best talent at the table and, because that's what we were looking for, that's why we have a very diverse team that includes a lot of women. “A lot of women leading is always fun, pretty lively and with lots of opinions. I think that the real focus is always an agreed-upon goal that we're trying to reach. So I think the team works well together because of that.” That goal to put on the best World Cup possible in North Texas has united people of all stripes. “We’re about trying to be the best and trying to create win-win opportunities, so it’s been great to look at these women who have been at the top of their fields in other areas coming together as a team,” Paul said. Jaime Cabrera wasn’t worried about coming into the sports industry because of its history as being a male-dominated, but she still wasn’t sure if people would see her as a perfect match. Having grown up playing sports, she knew the values that can be learned from being part of a solid squad. But with a background in healthcare and public health, she wanted to make sure her colleagues understood why she fit as the North Texas FWC Organizing Committee’s Director of Donor Relations. Paul quickly bought into the alignment between pushing for community access for safe places to play, and promoting good health, which made Cabrera feel understood. “It’s truly empowering to have a seat at the table to have my voice heard,” Cabrera said. “Monica, as a leader, exudes that. It is very much from her of - ‘I hired you for a reason. You're an expert in this field.’ She’s listening, but giving the support and direction that we need as female leaders - and leaders in general.”

The make-up of the leadership team has drawn attention beyond the Lone Star State. While Meg Kane, the Host City Executive/CEO in Philadelphia, said she traded some goodnatured NFL NFC East smack talk with her counterpart in North Texas between the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles intense rivalry, she immediately was won over by Paul’s ability to make a quick joke to cut through tension. She was equally impressed, however, with the way she could bring a conversation back to what needed to get done. “Monica Paul walks the walk and talks the talk. There is no doubt about that,” Kane said. “When you look at the team that she's assembled, it is absolutely remarkable the number of incredible women that she has brought to the FIFA World Cup 2026 planning effort. But I don't think it's any surprise that Monica would seek out the best and brightest of talent for North Texas.” Gillian Breidenbach, the Chief Partnership Officer, was one of Paul’s first hires and saw how the team came together. There is plenty of work to be done from the moment a city is awarded the rights to host matches, until the first moment the ball is kicked, so it was important to recruit leaders who wouldn’t be facing a big learning curve. “We’ve got a limited amount of time, so I think it’s critical Monica hired experts in the FIFA pillars required with us in the bid process,” Breidenbach said. “She has really surrounded herself with, first and foremost, experts in their field that happen to be women. I think that helps us set the stage for a really strong performance.” Another Paul call went out to Nina Vaca as the committee looked for a Co-Chair of the Board of Directors.

FEMALE-LED ORGANIZING COMMITTEE

An experienced North Texas businesswoman with Ecuadorian roots, Vaca seemed like the right person to work alongside fellow Co-Chair Dan Hunt and help spur forward off-field projects and legacy programs. Vaca’s business also features a leadership team in which women make up the majority, so she has been in her element. But she said that type of gender diversity also should give North Texas confidence that the World Cup is being planned in a way that they’ll appreciate and can feel included. “It is actually is a point of pride. Good businesses, good cities and good communities run when you have diversity, and when the leadership looks like the people that you're serving,” Vaca said. “I am so proud to be working with such a diverse and talented team that represents the community that we're serving.” It also is a decision that could have positive unintended benefits for the future of sports in North Texas. The 2031 FIFA Women’s World Cup will be hosted in the United States, and Paul’s intention is for the region to once again be hosting key matches.

“Our mission continues on. We’re in the midst of hosting a World Cup right now, but we know the world is watching,” Paul said. “Any time we host an event, we’re always looking to the future and how we can continue to raise the bar. It doesn’t get any bigger than a World Cup, so the stakes are a bit higher here.” Whether it be that 2031 FIFA Women’s World Cup, the 2030 Men’s Final Four and 2031 Women’s Final Four already confirmed for the region, or something else, Paul once again will be on the hunt for the top talent she can bring in to make sure the event is seen as a success by visitors and North Texans alike. Don’t be surprised if that means a team that once again is full of talented women.

BUY A BRICK

ORGANIZING COMMITTEE UNVEILS PLANS FOR FIFA FAN FESTIVAL™ DALLAS

NORTH TEXAS FWC ORGANIZING COMMITTEE UNVEILS PLANS FOR FIFA FAN FESTIVAL™ DALLAS TO BE FREE & OPEN TO THE PUBLIC JUNE 11 – JULY 19

DALLAS — The North Texas FWC Organizing Committee unveiled its plans for FIFA Fan Festival™ Dallas at Fair Park during FIFA World Cup 2026™ from June 11 to July 19. The official FIFA Fan Festival™ Dallas will be held at The Pavilion at Fair Park amphitheater and Lots 9 and 10 and will be free and open to the public on the 34 FIFA World Cup 2026™ match days, while being closed on the five rest days when no matches are played. “We are excited to provide more details about the official FIFA Fan Festival Dallas that will be free and open to all fans – both visitors and locals – who will be the heartbeat of FIFA World Cup 2026,” said Monica Paul, President of the North Texas FWC Organizing Committee.

“Iconic Fair Park will serve as the perfect backdrop to feature Dallas and the North Texas region to thousands of fans as they can gather in one place to cheer on their favorite teams while also enjoying local food, entertainment and culture for the duration of the tournament.” FIFA Fan Festival™ Dallas will feature giant screens broadcasting FIFA World Cup 2026™ matches, immersive FIFA Commercial Partner and Host City Supporter activations, a curated food and beverage program highlighting local cuisine and dynamic live programming with cultural showcases and concerts to be announced at a later date.

ORGANIZING COMMITTEE UNVEILS PLANS FOR FIFA FAN FESTIVAL™ DALLAS

Guests will also enjoy family friendly activities, including a dedicated playground area with a mini-pitch, and interactive activities and skills contests that make the sport accessible to everyone. “We are excited to welcome the world to Dallas this summer for FIFA World Cup 2026,” said Dallas Mayor Eric L. Johnson. “FIFA Fan Festival Dallas at Fair Park will give millions of fans the opportunity to celebrate the fanfare in a crown jewel of our city. With more matches than any other host, Dallas will deliver the safest and most fun World Cup experience yet. And as people from across the globe get a taste of true Texas hospitality, they will see Dallas as a premier travel destination on the world stage.” FIFA Fan Festival™ Dallas will follow the FIFA World Cup 2026™ daily match schedule and will open one hour prior to the start of the first match and close one hour after the conclusion of the last match. Matches that begin at either 10 p.m. or 11 p.m. local time (CT) will not be shown. The activation space for FIFA Fan Festival™ Dallas will be approximately 1 million square feet, accommodating up to 35,000 attendees at any time. The site will include The Pavilion at Fair Park, which will hold an estimated 20,000 attendees, with approximately 7,000 covered seats and an additional 13,000 lawn seats. Lots 9 and 10 will hold an additional 15,000 attendees. FIFA Fan Festival™ Dallas is being produced and operated by C3 Presents and will provide the ultimate fan experience, showcasing FIFA World Cup 2026™ matches throughout the tournament across multiple screens, including the main stage, as well as other large screens in Lot 10.

It will also include numerous large-scale activations with nine commercial partners and North Texas FWC Organizing Committee Host City Supporters, including UT Southwestern Medical Center, Coca-Cola Southwest Beverages, Choctaw Casinos and the North Texas Sports Foundation. FIFA Fan Festival™ Dallas will also highlight sustainability efforts, with focus on reducing waste through recycling and food waste recovery operations, education and outreach. Additionally, FIFA Fan Festival™ Dallas will be an inclusive event, and will include a designated interfaith prayer space, along with an onsite Worker Support Hub. For those seeking an elevated experience, premium access tickets will be available for purchase, with on-sale details to be announced soon. For more information about becoming a vendor or to sign up as cultural performers or entertainers during FIFA Fan Festival™ Dallas, please visit DallasFWC26.com.

HUMAN RIGHTS / GROWING A GREENER ARLINGTON

HUMAN RIGHTS ACTION PLAN The FIFA World Cup 26™ will be the largest tournament in the event's history, spanning three countries, 16 host cities, and 104 matches over 39 days. Dallas will host nine of those matches, placing North Texas at the center of a global moment watched by billions. With that visibility comes responsibility. Hosting the FIFA World Cup 26™ is not only about competition and celebration—it is also about how people are treated, how communities are affected, and what legacy remains after the final whistle blows.

Version 1 of our comprehensive Human Rights Action Plan, aligned with FIFA requirements, is available for review. In accordance with FIFA guidance, the final version is scheduled for publication in May.

The Human Rights Action Plan can be found on DallasFWC26.com and reflects the North Texas FWC Organizing Committee's (NTFWCOC) commitment to delivering a tournament that upholds human dignity and prioritizes safety. Grounded in the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs), the FIFA World Cup 26™ Human Rights Framework, and —most importantly—the lived experience and priorities of nearly 300 local stakeholders who helped shape it, this plan represents a collective vision for responsible hosting.

GROWING A GREENER NORTH TEXAS As North Texas prepares to welcome the world, we have a unique opportunity to showcase our commitment to a greener, healthier, and more resilient region. The North Texas FWC Organizing Committee, along with the City of Arlington on March 27 and with Dallas Park and Recreation on April 11, invite you to be part of this legacy. Join us as we plant trees, strengthen our neighborhoods, and show the world that North Texas is ready to host sustainably, responsibly, and boldly.

March 27, 2026 11:30 am - 1:30 pm

April 11, 2026 9:00 am - 11:00 am

North Texas Community Cleanup Challenge As the FIFA World Cup™ comes to North Texas, let’s make our community shine. We’re proud to support the North Texas Community Cleanup Challenge, a friendly regional competition to reduce litter and protect our environment.

This Effort Helps: Beautify neighborhoods and public spaces

From March through May, residents, schools, businesses, and community groups are invited to organize or join cleanup events and log every piece of trash collected. Communities will compete to collect the most litter per resident and earn the Cleanup Challenge award — a symbol of pride, stewardship, and teamwork.

Let’s show the world that North Texas takes pride in its community — clean, green, and ready for the FIFA World Cup™ and beyond.

Protect waterways and wildlife Create a lasting environmental legacy for the World Cup

How to Participate: Organize or join a local cleanup Log your efforts in the Texas Litter Database Share your impact and help your community rise to the top

Click Here to Get Involved

@fwc26dallas

DALLASFWC26.COM