World Cup Parking and Tailgating Will Look, Cost Differently Than at Cowboys’ Games

Believe it or not, the 2026 FIFA World Cup is just over one month away. We hope you’ve saved up. We also hope you’ve started making plans for just how you plan on tackling match day. 

The first of nine World Cup matches at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, named Dallas Stadium during the tournament, will take place on June 14 when Netherlands plays Japan. As one might imagine, attending an event like this is a bit more involved than the average game or concert. 

Want to park near the stadium? You’d better be ready. Want to do a bit of tailgating prior to the match? There are some things you certainly need to know beforehand. And don’t forget about the fan fest taking place during the tournament at Fair Park. You gotta plan ahead for that too, you know. 

Just Park is the official FIFA parking partner for Dallas matches. On Tuesday morning, available spaces for the June 14 match were available for $125, $150, $200 and $500 (for oversized vehicles, including buses). For the July 14 semifinal match in Arlington, $200 is the cheapest option available on Just Park. 

It’s not only the prices that will make people plan ahead for World Cup parking, either. There will be no on-site sales for parking passes on match day. Only parking passes purchased in advance will have a spot, and in the case of Just Park, you must already have a ticket to that specific World Cup match to get a parking pass, and even then, only one parking pass is allowed to be purchased per ticket, which could affect tailgating plans, more on that later. 

Seat Geek is the official ticketing partner for the Dallas Cowboys and AT&T Stadium, and perhaps unsurprisingly, parking pass prices were even more expensive than Just Park on Tuesday. For the June 14 match, it will take $163 to $374 for regular parking, and more than $1,000, for bus parking from Seat Geek. 

This is a fine spot to remind you that there will also be a World Cup mass transit plan in place. 

FIFA Fan Fest at Fair Park Parking

Although the matches will be in Arlington, Dallas will be where the biggest non-match World Cup events take place. The fan fest will take place at Fair Park and will feature live match broadcasts, concerts, games and other activities over the course of the tournament. Some other World Cup host cities have announced their fan fest’s will require an admission fee, but thus far, the Dallas fest is set to be free of charge for anyone to attend. 

But, of course, that’s where the freebies stop. If you’ve ever attended a Texas vs. Oklahoma football game at the Cotton Bowl or the State Fair of Texas, you know the drill. While there will be some parking in the usual fairground parking lots, those will fill up quickly and many will be forced to grab a spot from one of the neighboring homes or businesses. Prices for the spots and lots on the outskirts of the fairgrounds will vary of course, but a recent NBC 5 report suggests rates could reach into the hundreds of dollars and be “unlike what many visitors have seen before.”

According to the same NBC report, home and business owners who would like to legally charge for parking spots during the fan fest can apply and pay a $100 license fee by June 3. 

Tailgating in World Cup Parking Lots

With apologies to football fans, it’s tough to beat the tailgating experience at a major international soccer match. A couple of years ago when AT&T Stadium hosted Copa America matches, local fans were treated to a preview of what World Cup tailgating could be. Massive marching bands making their way through a rainbow of languages, aromas and flavors made for an electric, let alone eclectic, experience. 

Hopefully that energy can be matched in Arlington in 2026. Although FIFA has not banned tailgating at any of its host stadiums, some of those sites have implemented their own bans. MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, for example, has banned tailgating due to what organizers there say is extreme limitations on parking space. 

There has been some confusion in the reporting of this matter over the past couple of months, but according to a spokesperson for the North Texas FIFA World Cup Organizing Committee told us that tailgating will be allowed, but it might not look like it normally does.

“Dallas Stadium in Arlington does not prohibit tailgating for events. However, the FIFA World Cup 2026 parking operations will differ from standard NFL game days, which will potentially affect parking near the venue,” he said in an email. “As a result, tailgating (eating and drinking around parked cars in stadium areas) will have a slightly different feel but additional fan information for all FIFA World Cup 2026 matches will be communicated in advance of the tournament.”