Theory: When people come to Texas, they want to experience the exotic-to-some traditions associated with the state.
So when the North Texas FIFA World Cup 2026™ Organizing Committee needed a place to hold its media party Sunday, they went somewhere that could easily supply elements like horses, bulls, country music, boots, cowboy hats, and football (American tackle variety). You can find such items on the eastern side of the region, certainly, but when it came to supplying them in bulk and with gusto, Fort Worth said, “Hold my beer.”
The committee selected Billy Bob’s Texas in the Stockyards Historic District. Horses, cowboys, and showgirls greeted media members from around the world as they walked from the parking lot and a live country band provided the soundtrack as they entered the building. They could take in bull riding, watch armadillo races, learn to line dance, purchase some Texas souvenirs at the Billy Bob’s gift shop, and pose for photos with Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders or Rowdy, the team’s mascot. And if they wanted more Texana afterward, the adjacent Stockyards offered plenty of opportunities to buy a Stetson or get, you know, rowdy at a saloon.
With Downtown Dallas hosting the event’s broadcast and local media centers, we’ll likely see lots of storytelling professionals from around the word pass through North Texas in the next month or so. If my above theory is correct, it was probably the perfect spot to get those out-of-towners their Texas fix right off from the opening kick, so to speak.
Of course, plenty of soccer-themed décor dotted the bar’s substantial footprint. If you wanted your photo with a replica World Cup trophy and a Billy Bob’s neon sign in the background, you had this one chance to get it. We also saw several municipalities with booths at the event, including Arlington, Denton, Grand Prairie, and Mansfield. Their presence reminded the newcomers that even though FIFA names all its local activations (including Arlington’s big stadium) with the blanket term “Dallas,” there’s a lot of depth to the area. Maybe some of these visitors can take in Cowtown’s world-class art museums or concert hall while they’re in North Texas, too. And I’d bet Sunday will be the last time in a while that we’ll see signage bearing the D-word inside the world’s largest honky tonk.
A little light-hearted ribbing for the out-of-towners is something we do in Texas, too. Organizing Committee Co-Chair Nina Vaca, who hosted the brief on-stage presentation, along with Dallas Sports Commission Executive Director Monica Paul and the mayors of Fort Worth, Arlington, and Addison, emphasized that Texas hospitality would be extended to one and all.
Vaca even taught them to say, “Howdy.” Welcome to Texas, indeed.
