Two of the most prominent teams in the game of soccer faced off in a head-to-head match at AT&T Stadium on July 29th, 2023. Real Madrid and FC Barcelona played each other as part of the 2023 Soccer Champions Tour.
Many of the fans of these teams traveled across state lines for this once-in-a-lifetime chance to watch the storied rivals face off in the United States. The El Classico Game ended with a 3-0 win for FC Barcelona. The teams played in front of a sold-out crowd at AT&T Stadium. With over 82,000 fans in attendance, the game set record for the highest attended club soccer game in AT&T Stadium.
Soccer is a growing sport in the United States with fans starting to emerge over the recent acquisition of Lionel Messi to the MLS. This huge gain for U.S. fans of the sport will only continue to cultivate positive impacts for the future of “futbol” here in the states.
You can imagine the economic impact of this game, bringing in thousands of out-of-state visitors to Arlington. These fans stayed in local hotels, ate at local restaurants, and shopped at local stores for the duration of their stay in Arlington. But this is only one friendly pre-season game. Imagine the impact of multiple, competitive, games in North Texas.
In 2026, the FIFA world cup will be played right here in Arlington at AT&T Stadium. The international attraction of soccer will lead to an insane amount of fanfare in North Texas, contributing to a huge amount of economic development. The El Classico Game was only a taste of what is to come in a few years when the world’s soccer fans convene in Arlington. The world cup game is expected to bring in $400 million in revenue and create 3,000 jobs. This is only the second time that the world cup has come to North Texas and is surely not the last.
There are so many exciting sporting developments happening every day in Arlington. We look forward to following the impact soccer will have on our local businesses following El Classico and the FIFA World Cup!