White House task force calls 2026 World Cup a success

ARLINGTON, Texas — The final FIFA World Cup match in Texas marks the beginning of the tournament’s closing stretch, capping what federal organizers describe as a successful event for the United States both on and off the field.

Andrew Giuliani, executive director of the FIFA World Cup 2026 White House Task Force, said the tournament has exceeded expectations in areas ranging from economic impact to stadium attendance and security operations.

“To see the world’s love affair with the United States of America has been really, really gratifying,” Giuliani said.

The United States hosted its second men’s FIFA World Cup with 11 host cities across the country, including Dallas and Houston.

According to Giuliani, the tournament is projected to inject $50 billion into the U.S. economy, surpassing the initial estimate of $30 billion. He also said stadiums averaged 99.7% occupancy throughout the competition.

“It was basically like putting on 78 Super Bowls over the course of 39 days,” Giuliani said.

Texas played a significant role in the tournament. Dallas hosted nine matches, the most of any host city, while Houston hosted seven. Giuliani said North Texas had the largest North American footprint for the tournament, encompassing the FIFA Fan Festival at Fair Park, the International Broadcasting Center in Dallas, AT&T Stadium, team base camps and training facilities.

“They’ve been able to do it. It’s been seamless. Very, very impressive by North Texas,” Giuliani said.

The task force also pointed to security planning, public transportation and coordination among multiple agencies as key successes during the tournament.

“If they’re not talking about the task force, if they’re not talking about a security procedure, at the end of this, we’ve done our job,” Giuliani said.

As the tournament comes to a close, organizers say their focus has shifted from logistics to allowing fans to enjoy the final days of the competition and the memories created throughout the event.

Giuliani noted that he believes the U.S. will not have to wait another 30 years to see a men’s FIFA World Cup return to the nation.