Dallas Stadium brought down the curtain on its FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign with a fitting climax — a pulsating semi-final in which Spain defeated France 2-0 to book their place in the tournament's final.

The last-four clash was the ninth match staged at the Texas venue, more than any other of the 16 Host Cities across the tournament. It was a record-breaking run that stretched across 31 days and featured 15 different nations.

A marathon of football

"Hosting nine FIFA World Cup matches in just 31 days has been a marathon. It required extraordinary planning, coordination, and commitment, and it simply would not have been possible without the countless people and organisations who came together to make it happen," said Monica Paul, President of the North Texas FWC Organizing Committee.

"Over these past several weeks, fans from every corner of the globe filled our stadiums, parks, restaurants, neighbourhoods — and our hearts. Dallas has always been known for thinking big. But this summer, we didn't just think big — we welcomed the world in a way that reflected the very best of who we are."

A tournament full of records

Dallas' World Cup story opened on 14 June when Daichi Kamada's 88th-minute equaliser gave Japan a point against the Netherlands in Group F. The Samurai Blue returned later to draw 1-1 with Sweden, a result that sent both sides into the Round of 32.

England launched their semi-final run from Dallas, dismantling Croatia 4-2 — a match in which Luka Modrić became the first player in history to appear at five FIFA World Cup editions.

Lionel Messi made Dallas a personal landmark on Argentina's first visit. Despite missing a penalty, the iconic No. 10 scored twice in a 2-0 win over Austria, surpassing Germany's Miroslav Klose to become the FIFA World Cup's all-time leading scorer.

Argentina returned for their final Group J fixture, beating Jordan 3-1. Mousa Al-Tamari's goal gave Jordan a distinction of their own — they became the only one of the tournament's four debutants to score in every group match.

Côte d'Ivoire's Round of 32 encounter with Norway brought a fourth confederation to Dallas. Amad Diallo netted Côte d'Ivoire's first-ever FIFA World Cup knockout goal, but an 86th-minute Erling Haaland strike sent Norway through to the Round of 16.

Egypt provided one of the tournament's most gripping moments in Dallas, advancing past Australia on penalties in the first-ever FIFA World Cup knockout match between an African and an Asian side.

Goalkeeper Unai Simón etched his name into the record books during Spain's 1-0 Round of 16 win against Portugal, surpassing Walter Zenga's mark with a sixth consecutive clean sheet. The 70,649-strong capacity crowd that witnessed that win also pushed all-time FIFA World Cup cumulative attendance beyond the 50 million mark.

Mikel Merino's goal in the first minute of added time in Spain's quarter-final sent La Roja into the last four, and the semi-final triumph over France completed a historic chapter for Dallas — one that will be remembered long after the final whistle of FIFA World Cup 2026.