Dallas, or the “Big D”, is rich in American history, and forms the cultural and commercial hub of the region. With a robust economy comprised of e-commerce and electronics, to banking and manufacturing, Dallas continues to foster the entrepreneurial spirit that led Fortune magazine to deem it “the best place in the nation to do business.” The city was founded as a 1840’s trading post catering to trappers, soldiers, and cowboys on the Trinity River. Today, North Texas is a 16-county region including Dallas, Fort Worth, Arlington, and the cities in between which make North Texas the fourth largest metropolitan region in the United States.

With an impressively large youth football system, an incredible stadium, and experience hosting Super Bowls and numerous men’s and women’s national team matches over the past few years, Dallas is prepared to be a FIFA World Cup™ Host City. North Texas became home to the Dallas Burn in 1995, and played in its first game in front of 27,779 fans at Cotton Bowl Stadium. In 2004, the team was renamed to FC Dallas. Today, the North Texas football community is one of the largest in the United States, with nearly 176,000 registered players. The Dallas Cup, the largest international youth football event in the country, annually brings the world’s finest young players and more than 150,000 spectators to Dallas.

Of special significance in the Dallas and North Texas’ history is the 1994 FIFA World Cup USA™, when six games were played at the Cotton Bowl, and FIFA placed its tournament headquarters and the IBC in Dallas. The area is home to 14 professional sports franchises including all five major American sports with the Dallas Cowboys (NFL), Dallas Mavericks (NBA), Dallas Stars (NHL), FC Dallas (MLS), and the Texas Rangers (MLB), resulting in a sports-intensive event calendar. The 2004 Breeders Cup, the 2007 National Hockey League All-Star Game, the National Basketball Association All-Star Game (2010), Super Bowl XLV (2011), and the national collegiate basketball championships (2014) have all found North Texas a compelling host.