When the United States, Canada and Mexico were awarded the 2026 men’s World Cup in June 2018, the tournament felt an eternity away. That year’s edition in Russia was about to get going and the fever dream that was the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, with its air-conditioned outdoor stadiums, still felt pretty conceptual.

In advance of the world’s largest sporting event coming to town next year, Dallas has been preparing to make the most of the opportunity the event represents.