“I think Dallas has a very good chance to get one of those four big games, and perhaps even the Final—which would be amazing.”

Clark Hunt
Chairman & CEO of the Kansas City Chiefs, FC Dallas, and the Hunt Sports Group
.…on the chances of one of the four biggest matches of the 2024 World Cup being played at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.

Dallas billionaire Clark Hunt, owner of the reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs, sat down with Anurag Jain at the Venture Dallas Summit on Wednesday. Hunt—the chairman and CEO of both the Chiefs and FC Dallas—was the headliner for the first event at the annual summit for innovators and investors at the Bush Center.

One of the things they discussed: the prospect of snagging one of the biggest signature matches of FIFA World Cup 2026 for Arlington’s AT&T Stadium.

“FIFA is close to making the decision on which cities get the important games,” Hunt said at the summit, noting that the four “marquee games” include the opening match, the two semifinal matches, and The Final.

And if the entire world tunes into North Texas to see one of those big matches here?

“I think it would just be another acknowledgement of what a great place Dallas is to do business,” Hunt said.

AT&T Stadium [Photo: blightylad-infocus/iStock

“One of the little known things about the 1994 World Cup”—which was hosted in the U.S.—”is that it was the most successful World Cup ever from a financial standpoint,” Hunt added. “Soccer is the global sport. And if you’ve ever been to a World Cup, all the stadiums are full. But not surprisingly, the U.S., with our very large football stadiums, were able to host a very successful World Cup in ’94.”

Now Hunt has his eyes on the 2026 World Cup. He was co-chair of the committee pitching Kansas City to FIFA as a host city for the global event, which will also see matches played in Canada and Mexico. 

“And my younger brother”—Dan Hunt, president of FC Dallas—was co-chair of the committee here in Dallas. So we’ve got a little family rivalry going on. But truthfully, we’re delighted to be hosting games in both markets.”

“I would love to get that final here in Dallas,” Anurag Jain said in response.

Jain, a partner with Perot Jain and chairman of Access Healthcare, brought an entrepreneurial perspective on growing sports in the U.S. as an owner of cricket’s Texas Super Kings. He and Ross Perot Jr. are the two biggest investors in Major League Cricket, which staged its first match in July at Grand Prairie Stadium to launch its 2023 season.

For more of who said what about all things North Texas, check out Every Last Word.

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