On this week’s episode of the Urban Pitch Podcast, the crew discusses the viability of a World Cup final in Dallas, more young players turning pro in the NWSL, and Lionel Messi’s latest controversial award.
After rumors that Los Angeles was out, we had anticipated that the 2026 World Cup final would be played in Dallas. That didn’t stop us from still being slightly disappointed when it was actually announced.
While Dallas is the fourth-largest city in the country, it’s hardly the first metro area that you’d think of to host an event with the magnanimity of the World Cup final. But with American stadiums built with seemingly every sport in mind but soccer, Dallas by far has the best option in AT&T Stadium.
LA’s SoFi Stadium famously doesn’t have the capacity or the pitch dimensions necessary for a FIFA-regulated event, New York City’s MetLife Stadium is actually in New Jersey, and Chicago didn’t even submit a bid to be a host city due to financial burdens and FIFA’s long list of requirements. If we truly were a serious soccer nation, none of the above statements would be true.
Dallas might actually be a proper fit in the end, however, as the city has a deep-rooted history in the sport, with The Dallas Cup being one of the most prestigious youth tournaments in the country, in addition to FC Dallas’ famous academy that has produced talents like Weston McKennie, Ricardo Pepi, and Chris Richards, among many others.
The Urban Pitch Podcast crew discusses whether Dallas is a valid choice for a World Cup Final host, in addition to the latest NWSL offseason moves, Lionel Messi’s FIFA Best Men’s Player of the Year award, and Yasiin Bey’s recent comments on Drake on the latest episode!
You can watch the entire podcast on YouTube, or listen to the audio on streaming services including Apple and Spotify.
