Will Arlington see a long-term boost from hosting nine World Cup matches?

Irwin Kishner, co-chair of Herrick's Sports Law Group, spoke to The Dallas Morning News about the positive economic impact anticipated from Arlington's AT&T Stadium securing hosting responsibilities for nine of the prestigious and prosperous 2026 World Cup games, including a semifinal.

According to the article, the Dallas Sports Commission is working to determine the impact for the area, considering the number of people visiting the area, the average spend and the predicted 3,000 temporary jobs created to execute hosting the games.

Discussing who would benefit the most, Irwin noted, "Hospitality is the obvious one. But the travel industry with Uber and Lyft and the entertainment industry will tie into this too... These games are going to be sellouts. That means big crowds at hotels, restaurants, you name it. It’s going to send positive economic ripples through the entire Arlington infrastructure and beyond.”

The article also explained that Arlington and North Texas have much of the infrastructure in place to hold an international event, including one of the nation's most connected airports and thousands of hotel rooms near the stadium.

"Barring something catastrophic, a short-term economic victory is certain for Arlington, its neighboring cities, and the state," said Irwin.

“This is going to be a total economic bonanza on so many levels,” he said. “The only thing that could stop this from being the biggest event in Arlington’s history is if God forbid, a chasm just opened up at AT&T Stadium.”

Read the full article in The Dallas Morning News here. Access may require a subscription.