GET READY FOR THE GREATEST FIFA WORLD CUP EVER!
[00:00:03]
HOW COOL IS IT THAT WE'RE HOSTING A SEMI FINAL OF THE BIGGEST EVENT IN THE WORLD.2026 IS SET O BE THE MOST EXCITING AND INCLUSIVE FIFA WORLD CUP OF ALL TIME.
THIS IS A TRIUMPH. THIS IS A HUGE, HUGE SUCCESS.
3 HOST COUNTRIES, 60 HOST CITIES.
AND DALLAS IS ONE OF THOSE HOST CITIES. REPRESENTING THE NORTH TEXAS REGION, DALLAS WILL HOST 9 MATCHES, MORE THAN ANY OTHER HOST CITY.
THERE ARE SO MANY THINGS COMING TO THE METROPLEX, WE'RE IN THAT FINAL RUNNING.
THIS REALLY COULD STILL BE THE EPICENTER OF THE WORLD CUP.
AND MANY OF THOSE WON'T EVEN HAVE TICKETS TO THE GAME. THEY JUST WANT TO BE HERE IN THE REGION AND SO WE'LL BE PLANNING EVENTS AND WATCHING PARTIES AND PEOPLE WANT TO VISIT THE NATIONAL SOCCER HALL OF FAME.
WHAT WE'RE WAITING ON IS FOR HE REFEREE HEADQUARTERS TO BE DESIGNATED. IF WE ARE SO FORTUNATE TO HAVE IT AT TOYOTA STADIUM, THEN IT'S MY BELIEVE THAT WE WOULD HAVE ONLY 1 VISITING NATIONAL TEAM. I BELIEVE IF WE DON'T HAVE THAT, WE COULD HAVE 2 VISITING NATIONAL TEAMS AT TOYOTA STADIUM, BUT THE METROPLEX IS RIPE TO HAVE MANY VISITING NATIONAL TEAMS. DAN HUNT'S FATHER, LAMAR, IS CREDITED WITH FOUNDING MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER IN AMERICA.
MY FATHER LOVED THIS GAME. HIS FINAL PUSH TO GET HIM OVER THE HUMP WAS THE ’66 WORLD CUP FINAL.
IN ’67 HE DECIDED THAT HIS HOME TOWN OF DALLAS WAS READY FOR PROFESSIONAL SOCCER WITH THE DALLAS TORNADO AND WE ALWAYS KID THAT HE WAS ABOUT 40 OR 50 YEARS EARLY BUT THAT WAS THE LEGACY OF THE WORLD CUP.
THE ’94 LEGACY WAS MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER.
IT REALLY PUT THE SPORT OF SOCCER ON THE MAP IN THE UNITED STATES AND GAVE LAMAR HUNT THE CONFIDENCE TO SAY WE CAN START A MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER LEAGUE. AND IT'S CONTINUED TO GROW.
GET READY FOR A FIFA WORLD CUP LIKE NO OTHER.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.