DALLAS - The city of Dallas approved funds for upgrades to the convention center to use it for the 2026 FIFA World Cup International Broadcast Center.
What We Know: The Dallas City Council unanimously approved a $15 million agreement on Wednesday to renovate the Kay Bailey Hutchinson Convention Center in Downtown Dallas for the IBC.
The IBC will be the base camp for thousands of international media during the World Cup.
Council members have said hosting the IBC is a smart investment since the journalists will be in town for weeks for the duration of the tournament.
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FIFA released its first list of "Team Base Camps" for World Cup, including multiple locations in North Texas.
"They are going to be going out to our restaurants, our small mom and pop restaurants, our hole in the walls," Councilmember Jesse Moreno said. "They're going to be staying in our hotels. They're going to be visiting the Farmer's Market. They're going to be going to Deep Ellum, the Cedars."
It’s a significant investment, but city staff members said $8 million of the $15 million was already budgeted.
Convention Center funds come from a hotel tax and can only be spent on convention center projects.
FIFA has not officially named Dallas as the host city for the IBC.
However, the Dallas City Council said in a meeting last week that the city is the lone finalist.
Why You Should Care: The World Cup will be in Dallas in the middle of a $3.7 billion redevelopment project that includes tearing down the existing Kay Bailey Hutchinson Center and rebuilding it.
Some infrastructure work on that project kicked off in June. However, work on the new building was not expected to be completed until 2028 or 2029.
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Moreno said the council had the World Cup in mind when working on the redevelopment plans.
The $15 million agreement keeps the existing convention center open for events beyond 2026.
It’s a big investment in something that will ultimately be torn down, but the Dallas Sports Commission said it’s worth it.
The World Cup as a whole is expected to bring about $2 billion to the regional economy.
"Why would we put money into a convention center for temporary use when we are going to have to redo the whole thing anyway? And yes, it's an expense that is kind of a sunk cost. But the way you answered it gives me the impression and hope that we are going to make that back plus a lot more," said Councilmember Chad West.
What’s Next: Dallas city officials were supposed to hold a news conference about their vote. That event was postponed to "explore additional potential opportunities tied to FIFA’s World Cup initiatives.
FIFA is expected to make an official announcement within the next few months.
The Backstory: More World Cup games will be played in North Texas than anywhere else in North America in 2026.
The AT&T Stadium in Arlington will host nine World Cup matches, including a semifinal.
AT&T Stadium and Dallas will host 9 World Cup matches in 2026, including a semifinal
AT&T Stadium and Dallas has been selected to host nine matches in the 2026 World Cup, FIFA announced Sunday. That includes a semifinal match and five group stage matches.
But because of FIFA’s policies, the stadium will be called Dallas Stadium during the soccer tournament.
The other cities that will host games are Vancouver, Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Guadalajara, Mexico; Kansas City, Atlanta, Houston, Monterrey, Mexico City, Toronto, Boston, Philadelphia, Miami, New York, New Jersey.