Arts and cultural organizations are getting in on the game!
Directory of Participating Organizations: Modern Museum of Fort Worth (10), Mule Alley in the Stockyards (3), Fort Worth Zoo (4), Visit Fort Worth (2)
WORLD CUP PREVIEW
7 Now Boarding Groups A thru L
15 Who Won’t Be There
17 The Final in the Meadowlands
21 The Art of the Game By Kristian Lin, Ryan Burger, Elaine Wilder
WHERE AM I GOING?
Watch Parties: When & Where!
19 Free Fan Fests
19 Location, Location, Location
Read about watch parties in Arlington, and in Downtown Fort
Worth and the Stockyards on Page 19. Then, turn to Page 21 for more Fort Worth locations in the Near Southside, in the Riverside district, near TCU, and other Tarrant County spots.
WHAT WILL I DRINK?
20 Acre Distilling
24 Michelob Ultra
HOW WILL I GET THERE?
12 Where TM Can Take You
15 Shuttling from J. Gilligans
23 Riding Local: Get on Board the TRE
Trinity Metro is preparing enhanced service for FIFA 2026, connecting fans to eats, drinks, and futbol.
SUPPORT LOCAL!
When you’re looking for a place to party, keep it local.
Crystal Springs (20), J Gilligan’s (15), Jon’s Grill (18), Last Drop (16), Morton’s (18), Mule Alley (3), No Frills Grill (5), Rex’s Bar & Grill (14), Social House (8), and Upper 90 (18).
TARRANT COUNTY 2026
Cover Art by Ryan Burger presented by
LIVE WATCH PARTIES
Live broadcast of ALL 104 WC Soccer Games rotating in English & Spanish
JUNE 11 - JULY 19, 2026
Between-Game special festivities & events thru July 19th
LOCATION
Beautiful World-Renowned
Sundance Square Plaza 420 Main Street (Downtown Fort Worth)
Welcome to the World Cup!
Now Boarding: Groups A thru L
BY KRISTIAN LIN
As the FIFA World Cup 2026 comes to town and AT&T Stadium transforms into Dallas Arena, Tarrant County will be its largest venue, hosting five group-stage matches plus various other knockout games, including one of the semifinals. Prepare to greet visitors from Argentina and Japan, as those countries will each have two games in Arlington. North Texas will see the defending champs take on Austria and Jordan, while Japan will take on the Netherlands and Sweden. Let’s dig in.
Group A
Co-host Mexico will have a significant homefield advantage playing in the high-altitude cauldrons of Mexico City and Zapopán. Coach Javier Aguirre has dealt with World Cup pressures before, and El Tricolor will lean heavily on the goal-scoring of AC Milan’s Santiago Giménez and Fulham’s Raúl Jiménez. South Korea’s best-known players are offensive ones, with team captain Son Heung-min and winger Lee Kang-in (a Champions League winner with Paris St.-Germain), but currently their best player is Kim Min-jae, the defensive stud who won the Italian league with Napoli and now mans the backline for Bayern Munich. South Africa has a distinct lack of star power, but Coach Hugo Broos has the Bafana Bafana playing cohesive team defense that qualified them ahead of more talented Nigeria. As for the Czech Republic, they’re captained by experienced defender Ladislav Krejčí, but they sport offensive threats in Bundesliga leading scorer Patrik Schick and West Ham attacking midfielder Tomáš Souček.
Group B
The others in this group are breathing a sigh of relief that Italy failed to qualify, but don’t sell Bosnia-Herzegovina short. Striker Edin Džeko gets older but just keeps on scoring; Appleton, Wisconsin, native Esmir Bajraktarević scored the winning penalty that eliminated Italy; and defender Sead Kolašinac once tried to stomp two
armed robbers to death on the streets of London, so he won’t be intimidated. Co-host Canada is coached by American Jesse Marsch, who swore he would never coach Team USA after the U.S. Soccer Federation jerked him around before hiring Mauricio Pochettino. He likes to create chaos and cheap scoring opportunities by having forwards like Juventus’ Jonathan David press opposing defenders when they have the ball. Switzerland has one of the world’s best goalkeepers in Inter Milan’s Yann Sommer, and Bologna’s Remo Freuler provides some finesse to go with the brawn of midfield partner Granit Xhaka. After qualifying as a host country four years ago, Qatar reached this tournament on its own. Sudan-born Almoez Ali is only 29, and already the country’s all-time leading scorer by some distance, and Coach Julen Lopetegui used to be boss at Real Madrid.
Group C
Brazil’s desperation to win led them to hire the first foreign coach in their history: Italian Carlo Ancelotti has a track record of taking charge of star-laden teams and making them work together efficiently. As you’d expect, he has an embarrassment of riches to work with in Vinícius Júnior and Bruno Guimarães as well as newcomers Estêvão and João Pedro. The 2022 Cinderellas Morocco don’t look as dangerous as they did four years ago, although Achraf Hakimi and Noussair Mazraoui remain elite fullbacks. Real Madrid attacker Brahim Díaz can cause any defense trouble, too. Scotland hasn’t made this tournament since 1998, and they have two left-footed defenders in Andy Robertson and Kieran Tierney who can create chances offensively. Meanwhile, Scott McTominay became an unlikely goal-scoring machine after leaving Manchester United for Napoli. Even longer away from the World Cup is Haiti, which last played the big tournament in 1978. The Grenadiers have FC Dallas’ Don Deedson Louicius, but against this opposition, they’ll be happy if they can just snatch a draw in any of their games.
Group D
Team USA enjoyed some good luck back in December when they held the World Cup draw. Coach Mauricio Pochettino publicly warned our guys against complacency once the results were public. Though I hate to agree with conventional wisdom, that’s where I am, too. Two of the three continued on page 9
World Cup
from page 7
teams that the USA will be facing are Paraguay and Australia. The USA defeated Australia in a friendly match only two months ago, so there’s some familiarity. Paraguay looks to be a tougher proposition. Their central defense is the heart of their team, with Gustavo Gómez captaining both his country and his club team, Palmeiras, while Omar Alderete is his rugged defensive partner, who played the last two seasons at Getafe before moving to Sunderland in the English Premier League. Offensively, they’ll rely on the mercurial Miguel Almirón, a tricky playmaker who generally lines up on the right and is back at Atlanta United after some fruitful seasons at Newcastle. The third opponent is Türkıye, the winner of the mini-bracket in European qualifying. They grabbed that fourth spot, though they had some trouble defeating Kosovo to get here.
Group E
After a down period, Coach Julian Nagelsmann has Germany back to their soul-crushing selves. The question is: Who will carry the offensive load here? Will oft-injured Niclas Füllkrug stay healthy? Or will either Florian Wirtz or Kai Havertz get hot at the right time? (If all of them are firing, watch out.) Ecuador has Champions League-winning defender Willian Pacho on their backline, but La Tricolor’s threat comes from the left side, where both AC Milan’s Pervis Estupiñán and Arsenal’s Piero Hincapié can bomb down the touchline and send in dangerous crosses. After missing the last two World Cups, the Ivory Coast is back, thanks to the midfield inspiration of Ibrahim Sangaré and the attacking speed of Nicolas Pépé and Justin Amad Diallo. Then there’s debutants Curaçao, which is part of the Netherlands and has more than a few players at all levels of Dutch soccer, including Armando Obispo at PSV Eindhoven. The Blue Wave might go home happy if they can just score a goal.
Group F
This group offers some fascinating matchups. Soccer history would seem to favor the Netherlands here, but I’m concerned about their central defense, where Virgil van Dijk, Nathan Aké, and Stefan de Vrij are all on the wrong side of 30. I’m not sure I trust Coach Ronald Koeman, either. Sweden boasts a potent forward line, with
Courtesy AFP
Will this image replicate itself at the end of this World Cup?
Anthony Elanga as a creator and Viktor Gyökeres and Alexander Isak as large finishers who are also mobile despite their size. Japan has a surfeit of creative wingers (Kaoru Mitoma, Ritsu Doan, Daichi Kamada, Ao Tanaka), but its most fascinating player is in goal. Part-Ghanaian, New Jersey-born Zion Suzuki will make his World Cup debut, and while he’s still raw at age 23, the Parma netminder is a great talent for a country that tends not to produce great goalkeepers. In this company, Tunisia is a heavy underdog, but the Carthage Eagles should be able to muster some resistance with Eintracht Frankfurt’s Ellyes Skhiri and Burnley’s Hannibal Mejbri manning their midfield.
Group G
We are some distance removed from Belgium being the world-class power that it was eight years ago, but Kevin de Bruyne can still make magic with his feet, and Romelu Lukaku can still bull his way through defenders and score. They’ve got some newcomers, too, in dynamic winger Jérémy Doku and playmaker Charles de Ketelaere. There are complicated geopolitical dynamics at play in their situations, but almost all of their players are domestic. (Read more at Bit.ly/FWW_IranSoccerQuestion.) Egypt is in a similar situation, but with Omar Marmoush and the aging Mohamed Salah, the Pharaohs have players who are dangerous in front of the goal. Rounding out an easy group for the Belgians is New Zealand, which relies on Chris Wood, an old, slow striker who is, nevertheless, coming off a career season with Nottingham Forest.
Group H
All eyes are on Spain here. I’m not sure if I trust their defense, which is full of interesting talents
continued on page 11
MODERN ART MUSEUM OF FORT WORTH
Pictured and on view: Jess, Montana Xibalba: Translation # 2, 1963. Oil on canvas mounted on wood. Museum purchase, The Friends of Art Endowment Fund. Acquired in 1996
like Pau Cubarsí and Dean Huijsen, who haven’t been tested by World Cup pressure. Their fans are crossing their fingers that Barcelona wonderkid Lamine Yamal’s torn hamstring will heal in time for the tournament. Spain’s offense will take a major hit without him. Their matchup against Uruguay will be one to watch, since the South Americans field Barcelona team captain Ronald Araújo and Real Madrid vice-captain Federico Valverde. Far shorter on quality is Saudi Arabia, whose players mostly ply their trade in the wellheeled confines of their country’s domestic league. (They just fired their head coach, too, which is seldom a good sign this close to a tournament.) Making their World Cup debut is Cape Verde, a set of Portuguese-speaking islands off Africa’s west coast. This will be a career highlight for the country’s all-time leading scorer, Ryan Mendes, as well as Columbus Crew defender Steven Moreira.
Group I
This might be the Group of Death here. On one hand, France has so many offensive options (Kylian Mbappé, Désiré Doué, Bradley Barcola, Michael Olise) that they won’t even miss Hugo Ekitiké, who got seriously hurt playing for Liverpool. On the other hand, Les Bleus’ defense will have its hands full playing against Norway. They have two extremely large humans — Erling Haaland and Alexander Sørloth — who can light up scoreboards at the highest levels, while behind them is the playmaking sharpness of Martin Ødegaard. Should something happen to the starters, reserve strikers Josh King and Jørgen Strand Larsen would be starting for many other countries. Neither team will overlook Senegal, which has hard-running midfielders in Idrissa Gueye and Pape Gueye (no relation) and speed up front with Ismaïla Sarr, Nicolas Jackson, and the still-potent Sadio Mané. Pity poor Iraq, which is back in the World Cup for the first time since 1986. If the Mesopotamia Lions can just make a game of it against any of these opponents, they should be proud.
Group J
Here we have Argentina. I have reasons to doubt whether they can repeat as champions, starting with goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez’ streaky form over the past four years. Regardless, they
We haven’t seen this in the 21st century: Scotland will play in the World Cup.
still have the firepower of Lautaro Martínez, Julián Alvarez, and that Messi guy. They also have a fairly easy group. Austria has a bunch of useful Bundesliga players, like playmakers Marcel Sabitzer and Konrad Laimer. Feel happy for team captain David Alaba, a defensive mainstay for Bayern Munich and Real Madrid, who will be making his World Cup debut at age 33. The strength of Algeria will be on their backline, with heavily experienced Aïssa Mandi and Ramy Bensebaini holding down the center and Manchester City’s Rayan Aït-Nouri launching attacks from the left-back position. For World Cup debutants Jordan, watch for team captain and main goal threat Musa al-Taamari, who cuts in from the right wing for French club Rennes.
Group K
Plenty of intrigue here. Cristiano Ronaldo will be available for Portugal after he was initially suspended for elbowing an opposing player during a qualification loss to Ireland. The suspension has been temporarily and suspiciously lifted for the World Cup, but his team is so flush with attackers that they might be better without the aging superstar. Their talent across all positions makes them a threat to win, but their inconsistency leaves the door open for others. Colombia has toughness in defense (Jhon Lucumí, Davinson Sánchez) and goal threats up front (Luis Díaz, Jhon Durán). Fun fact: Attacking midfielder Yáser Asprilla is the son of Faustino Asprilla, who played for Los Cafeteros during the last American World Cup in 1994. The last time the Democratic Republic of the Congo was in the World Cup was in 1974, when the country was called Zaïre. The Leopards will have reason to believe they can advance out of the group, too, with attackers like Yoane Wissa and Cédric Bakambu, as well as Premier League
continued on page 15
RIDES WORTH CELEBRATING
WHERE CAN TRINITY METRO TAKE YOU? HOW ABOUT:
FOOTBALL MATCHES
Take Trinity Railway Express (TRE) from Downtown Fort Worth to CentrePort Station, then show your match ticket to board the shuttle to Dallas Stadium in Arlington
FORT WORTH STOCKYARDS
Ride the Orange Line to soak up some historic western culture, cattle drives, live music and more
SUNDANCE SQUARE
Circle exciting downtown restaurants, nightlife, entertainment and events on the Blue Line
LA GRAN PLAZA
Experience this one-of-a-kind Mexican shopping mall with over 175 stores on Bus Route 1
ARLINGTON ENTERTAINMENT
Board a Cowtown Visitor Shuttle to see Six Flags, Texas Live!, or baseball games in Arlington
FORT WORTH SHOPPING
Do the upscale Tanger Outlets or legendary Buc-ee’s travel center on a Cowtown Visitor Shuttle
ZOO & GARDENS
Get wild on a Cowtown Visitor Shuttle trip to the Fort Worth Zoo and Fort Worth Botanic Garden
Ready to get the total Texas experience? Plan your unforgettable trips now at RIDE TRINITYMETRO.org/ TheCup
World Cup
defenders like Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Axel Tuanzebe. The most familiar face for debutants Uzbekistan will be on the sideline: Coach Fabio Cannavaro captained Italy to that World Cup win in 2006. The White Wolves are led by hulking Manchester City defender Abdukodir Khusanov.
Group L
Soccer’s best goalkeeper won’t be at the World Cup this year.
At some point, one of these tournaments is going to break England’s way. Right? Manchester United’s Kobbie Mainoo arrives to stabilize the midfield, and if playmakers Cole Palmer and Phil Foden can blow hot and cold, Harry Kane is still there and scoring goals aplenty. For Croatia, this will be a last hurrah for all-time great midfield operator Luka Modrić. As always, there are lots of goal threats in the famous checkerboard jerseys, including the late-blooming Ante Budimir. If giant left-back Joško Gvardiol can get healthy in time for the tournament, it will give them a huge boost. Previous editions of Ghana were strong through the middle of the pitch, but the Black Stars’ best players now are on the wings, with Antoine
Semenyo, Mohammed Kudus, and Iñaki Williams all either delivering threatening crosses or dribbling inside and shooting. Panama may be the favorites to finish last, but Los Canaleros have more talent than others in that position, with Dynamo Kyiv’s Eduardo Guerrero scoring goals and Beșiktaș’ Amir Murillo manning the right-back position.
Who Won’t Be There
We also know for certain that some of the best players on the planet will not be at the FIFA World Cup 2026. The Italian word for “playoff”
continued from page 11 continued on page 17
Courtesy Wikimedia Commons
World Cup
from page 15
is spareggio, and I’m sure much of Italy would be happy if they never heard it again. After playoff losses to Sweden and North Macedonia kept the Azzurri out of the World Cups 2018 and 2022, the Italians fell in the playoffs once again yesterday, this time losing to Bosnia-Herzegovina in a penalty shootout to ensure that they’ll miss World Cup 2026. Now their entire squad has never played a World Cup match. The last time they won a World Cup elimination game was the final in 2006, when Zinédine Zidane famously lost his head by using his head.
That insane point is the main takeaway as I compile this quadrennial feature. I’m trying to avoid putting the entire Italy squad on my list of World Cup absentees, so I’ve struck a balance among other countries. Even as the tournament expands to 48 teams, you can see there are still lots of terrific players who will miss out. Along with Alessandro Bastoni, Sandro Tonali, and Gianluigi Donnarumma from Italy, Matty Caśh (Poland), Patrick Dorgu (Denmark), Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (Georgia), Bryan Mbeumo (Cameroon), Nikola Milenković (Serbia), Victor Osimhen (Nigeria), Dominik Szoboszlai (Hungary), and Oleksandr Zinchenko (Ukraine) will be missing from this year’s action. (Read more at Bit.ly/ FWW_BestMissingPlayers.) —Kristian Lin
The Final
Dream with us, won’t you? On Sun, Jul 19, in Meadowlands, New Jersey, Team USA (fingers crossed) will use a small, round ball that people enjoy kicking into a net as a universal tool uniting people from all over the world, regardless of their religion, race, nationality, gender, or identity. Americans spend the summer learning from and about 47 other amazing nations, their cultures, and their peoples. The beautiful game cements its place in America’s sporting heart. Sorry, baseball. You’re outta here! (Read more at Bit.ly/FWW_Dreamtime) —Ryan Burger
Obviously, we can’t actually know which teams will make the final. Whichever country does make the cut, we do know that all eyes will be on the Meadowlands that day. And that for the first time, FIFA is incorporating a Super Bowl-style halftime show at the game on Sun, Jul 19, co-headlined by BTS, Madonna, and Shakira, who is releasing a new song for the occasion. The spectacle will be curated by Coldplay’s Chris Martin with some of the Muppets from Sesame Street as special guests. In a short film announcing the performers, Martin unveiled the star-studded lineup and said that the show will be “all about togetherness… and everyone’s invited.” The event is being produced in collaboration with Global Citizen and Live Nation. The historic performance will help raise funds for the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund. —Elaine Wilder
Watch Parties: When & Where!
BY ELAINE WILDER
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will last 39 days, running from Thu, Jun 11, to Sun, Jul 19. Hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, this tournament will be the longest in history, with 48 teams and 104 matches, and culminating in the final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. Nine FIFA World Cup matches (more than in any other host city) will be played at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, dubbed “Dallas Stadium,” for the tournament. They will start with the Netherlands vs. Japan on June 14, followed by England vs. Croatia on June 17, Argentina vs. Austria on June 22, Japan vs. Sweden on June 25, and Jordan vs. Argentina on June 27. The stadium will also host two Round of 32 matches (June 30 and July 3), one Round of 16 match (July 6), and one SemiFinal match (July 14). Don’t have tickets? Don’t worry. Watch parties are everywhere!
Free Fan Fests
Throughout the event, on all 34 game days, North Texas cities are hosting free fan festivals. Dallas will transform Fair Park (3809 Grand Av, 214-670-8400) into a 1 million-square-foot free celebration. The FIFA Fan Festival will have live match screenings, concerts, and interactive soccer experiences. More info at DallasFWC26. com/our-venues/fan-festival.
During those same dates in Frisco, the free FC Dallas Soccer Celebration is taking place at Simpson Plaza (6094 Frisco Square Blvd, 972292-6500), featuring watch pods, giant screens, live music, food, drinks, and more. For updates, go to FCDallas.com.
As for Fort Worth, Sundance Square (420 Main St, 817-222-1111) is getting in on the soccer game too. The district is preparing for FIFA World Cup exuberance with two months of watch parties, and family-friendly events tied to the biggest sporting event on the planet. It’s an event they’re calling Summer of Soccer at Sundance Square. From June 11-19, the plaza will host free public watch parties for 104 matches, complete with food vendors, bars,
live music and DJs, arts and theater events, yoga classes, and more. Shop for stylish apparel, home accessories, gifts, and more from both national brands and local businesses. For updates, keep an eye on SundanceSquare.com/events/.
Arlington
Texas Live! (1650 E Randol Mill Rd, 817-8526688) will show the games on its 100-foot screen across 11 bars and restaurants under the same roof. Promotors promise drumlines, interactive fan games, DJs, and nonstop fan hype — all just steps from “AT&T Stadium” (i.e. Dallas Arena). Tickets and table reservations for select games are coming soon at Texas-Live.com.
Dallas
Many local establishments throughout North Texas are gearing up for when the world comes to visit in a few weeks, but Peticolas Brewing (1301 Pace St, 214-234-7600) was born for this moment. As a lifelong soccer fan, founder Michael Peticolas put his love for the game right there in the logo. “The overall design is heavily influenced by the crests that represent football clubs all over the world,” he said. “We are huge fans and wanted our logo to have a similar feel.” Ahead of the 2026 World Cup, the brewery has themed beers on tap and a sports photography exhibit on its walls. For updates on watch parties and other goings on, follow them at Facebook. com/PeticolasBrewing.
Fort Worth: Downtown
Acre Distilling (1309 Calhoun St., 817-6327722), is an award-winning distillery producing whisky, bourbon, gin, vodka, rum, liqueurs, and cordials. They offer experiences like tasting tours, blending sessions, pairing events, and cocktail classes. Their Hell’s Half Acre Bar serves craft cocktails, hosts events, and includes a retail space for merchandise and bottles.
Fort Worth: Stockyards
Mule Alley (122 E Exchange Av), located in the historic Fort Worth Stockyards, features restaurants, entertainment, shops, and a 4-star hotel. Visitors can enjoy unique attractions, a daily cattle drive, historic tours, and live music, all reflecting the rich history of the American West.
continued on page 21
Where to Watch
continued from page 21
Fort Worth: Near Southside
Upper 90 (961 W Magnolia Ave, 817-882-6614), is an ideal venue for fútbol fans and casual visitors, featuring a welcoming atmosphere, friendly staff, and multiple screens for live games. Guests can enjoy classic bar games, inventive cocktails, and a sense of community while cheering for their favorite teams, making it a vibrant gathering place for memorable experiences.
Fort Worth: River District
Crystal Springs Hideaway (113 Roberts Cut Off Rd, 682-224-2583, CrystalSpringsHideaway. com) will show the games on large TVs across indoor and outdoor spaces. Guests can enjoy this true Texas Beer Garden experience with burgers, salads, and other handhelds, 25 beers on draft, cocktails, and a unique wine-andcheese shop. No cover or ticket required. There will be all-day happy hours on weekdays, plus World Cup drink specials.
Fort Worth: Riverside
The Last Drop (2929 Race St, 682-224-2347), is a neighborhood sports bar, offering affordable drinks, large TVs, a friendly staff, and free parking. They provide a variety of options, including beers, cocktails, liquor, food, billiards, and arcade games. Essentially, everything you and your friends or family need for a full day of fun is right here at The Last Drop!
Fort Worth: TCU
Rex’s Bar & Grill (1501 S University Dr, 817968-7397) is the home bar for Team Japan fans in Fort Worth, but it will also be screening every single game. The first of the nine World Cup matches to be played here is the Netherlands vs. Japan on Sun, Jun 14. To book a table, call the restaurant or go to RexsFTW.com/ watch-parties.
Tarrant County
Buffalo Bros (Sundance Square, TCU & Burleson, BuffaloBros.com) is a locally owned hangout featuring over 220 TVs across its three locations, each featuring an extensive beer list with local craft favorites, plus great daily food
and drink specials. Open 11am-2am daily, they will host FREE watch parties for every World Cup match throughout the tournament, making it the perfect place to catch all the action.
No Frills Grill & Sports Bar (4 in Tarrant County, NoFrillsFrill.com) offers the ultimate game-day experience. With 100+ HD TVs at each location, you won’t miss a moment of World Cup action! Spacious dining rooms accommodate groups of all sizes, while an extensive menu featuring American favorites, Tex-Mex specialties, and more. Enjoy daily food and drink specials, shoot a game of pool, and cheer on your favorite team in a fun, welcoming atmosphere. Celebrating 36 years, No Frills delivers a true Texas sports bar experience.
Social House (Fort Worth & Arlington) is your food-and-Cup-watching headquarters. This casual restaurant and bar specializes in all forms of social interaction with 20+ TVs to watch the game from every angle. They offer lunch, happy hour, dinner, and an amazing brunch on the weekends! ALSO, Social Arlington will have Shuttle rides to and from the stadium. For more info, find them on Instagram (@ SocialHouseDFW).
Art of the Game
The Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth (3200 Darnell St, TheModern.org), is getting in on the game with a special display of a notable work by artist Jess (1923–2004) in its permanent collection, now thru the end of the FIFA World Cup 26 tournament. Acquired by the Modern in 1996, Montana Xibalba: Translation #2 (1963) is the second work in the artist’s Translation series, and is a reproduction of a photograph of a soccer game from a yearbook Jess found in a second-hand shop. The image reminded him of an ancient Mayan cosmological myth in which the birth of the sun and the moon resulted from a ball game between two earthly heroes and the Lords of Xibalba, a realm akin to Hades. The yellow ball in the painting represents the sun, while the athletes portray the heroes. The piece elicits feelings of play, camaraderie, and team pride, all of which today’s soccer fans experience with every match. Admission to view the work in the museum’s Grand Lobby is free and can be viewed Tue-Sun 10am-5pm, and Fri 10am-8 pm.
Get on Board for World Cup
Trinity Metro is Preparing Enhanced Service for FIFA 2026, Connecting Fans to Eats, Drinks & Futbol
BY CHRISTINE ROGERS
Trinity Metro is preparing an enhanced mobility plan to support increased travel demand during the FIFA World Cup soccer tournament in North Texas in June and July, with expanded connections between Fort Worth, Arlington, Dallas, and DFW International Airport. If you’re looking to get on board, see all the details at RideTrinityMetro.org/TheCup.
The agency has spent several years coordinating with regional and event partners to prepare for the tournament and is planning enhanced service throughout the event. Trinity Metro’s plan includes additional service during peak travel periods, schedule adjustments around matches and events, and the deployment of additional vehicles and operational resources to support increased regional demand.
The plan is designed to support both soccer visitors and Trinity Metro’s frequent customers throughout the tournament.“This is one of the largest international events North Texas has hosted, and Trinity Metro is prepared to move people safely and efficiently on the Trinity Metro system,” said Rich Andreski, President and CEO of Trinity Metro.
Match-Day Services
Trinity Metro services connect visitors to tournament activities and regional destinations with match-day TRE service between Fort Worth and CentrePort Station, connecting tournament activities and Arlington stadium transportation provided by the North Texas FWC Organizing Committee.
There will also be TRE service between Fort Worth and Dallas Fan Fest activities via DART light rail connection and TEXRail service between Downtown Fort Worth and DFW International Airport, plus Trinity Metro is introducing a special
Courtesy Buc-ee’s
Cowtown Visitor Shuttle motorcoaches, operating in partnership with Trinity Metro during FIFA 2026, will include some special shopping destinations.
motorcoach shuttle service to Fort Worth destinations and Arlington’s Entertainment District.
On matchdays, Trinity Metro plans enhanced TRE service designed to provide a clear and reliable transit option for customers traveling between Fort Worth and Arlington. Service begins up to six hours before kickoff, with return service operating up to three hours after matches to support post-game departures.
Non-Match Day Excursions
Trinity Metro is helping to position Fort Worth as the premier non-match-day destination for soccer tournament visitors. With remarkable attractions, award-winning restaurants, and cultural landmarks within easy reach of its transit network, Fort Worth delivers an experience that goes well beyond the stadium.
“Fort Worth offers visitors an experience distinct from any other city in the region,” said Mitch Whitten, President and CEO, Visit Fort Worth. “Fans can experience authentic Texas culture, hospitality, and attractions while using Trinity Metro to move throughout the area.”
As part of a new, limited-time service, Cowtown Visitor Shuttle Motorcoaches, operated in partnership with Trinity Metro, will provide convenient connections between Fort Worth and Arlington, linking visitors to some of North Texas’ most popular destinations, including Bucee’s and Tanger Outlets.
The special shuttle service will connect riders to the Fort Worth Stockyards, Sundance Square, Fort Worth Zoo,... Read more online by using the QR code.
