6 June 18 - 24, 2026 dallasobserver.com DALLAS OBSERVER Classified | MusiC | dish | Culture | unfair Park | Contents When Julian Quinones booted in the first goal of the tournament from the near penalty spot around the 10-minute mark, the joyous explosion was surely every bit as loud as the April music festival in Fair Park that led to numerous complaints to police and city leaders. One child screamed with arms in the air while his brother next to him wiped tears from his eyes. A nearby father confidently cradled a baby in his left arm, while issuing multiple, hard high- fives with other fans around him with his right hand. The contagious excite- ment was almost enough to make you forget about the $19 beer, the $28 cock- tails and the $25 burgers. There was $4 bottled water and $7 beef empanadas, too, so it’s a good thing the event was free to attend, leaving fans some cash to enjoy inside the gates. Near the row of food stands was where the fest went from a watching party to fami- ly-friendly fun. Corporate-sponsored arts- and-crafts and kids’ games looked fun, as did the many soccer-specific gaming op- tions for both kids and adults. It was in this area that another giant screen was showing the game, and some fans sporting South Af- rican jerseys or the colors of Argentina, Ger- many, the Netherlands and England could be found scattered about. Between then and June 14, when the first match was played at AT&T Stadium, or Dal- las Stadium, brilliant flourishes of Dutch oranje and the Japanese “samurai” blue swooshed across North Texas and through colorful Instagram posts showing visitors re- acting to Texas signatures ranging from Buc- ees to barbecue to H-E-B. The imported international flair didn’t stop with massive throngs of supporters. Even the social media sensation known as “World Cup Freddy,” an anonymous German soccer fan who became internet famous for the awe expressed over country music and Waffle House, landed in Texas to see his team play in Houston. Finally, Kickoff in Arlington After three days of parties and previews around Dallas, the only thing left was for soccer to finally be played. The Dutch and Japanese team supporters from the many viral videos filled AT&T Stadium like a tech- nicolor checkerboard, albeit a checker- board that chanted, sang and whacked drums for two solid hours. Thanks to their neon or- ange attire, the Dutch supporters were more visible in the crowd, but from where we sat, the Japanese fans were much easier to hear. If the walls of Jerryworld have been rocked harder since the last time Metallica per- formed there, we aren’t aware of it. The match’s second half featured a back- and-forth battle featuring four acrobatic, highlight-reel-worthy goals, including Ja- pan’s strike with just a couple of minutes left to even the score at 2-2. But the fervor was just as significant, especially from Japan’s fans, the Ultras Nippon, in the slower first half, when the Sa- murai Blue were out- played by Virgil van Dijk and crew. No one could possibly confuse the Sunday match with any of the often tame, benign affairs where the local football team takes the very same field, although the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders made an appearance, dancing on the large mega-screen above the field, during a break in the action. The wardrobes of World Cup fans from this match in particular deserve the same bit of praise and scrutiny that A-list actors and pop stars attending the Met Gala receive. Old, young, male, female, there were no bor- ders on who had their faces painted wildly or whose costumes seemed stolen from an extravagant Broadway stage production. After the final whistle blew in Arlington on Sunday evening, bringing a close to the opening weekend of the 2026 World Cup in North Texas, it was clear there had been a sig- nificant cultural exchange that perhaps Americans got the better end of. Sure, visitors from Mexico, Japan, the Netherlands, Ger- many and beyond have enjoyed our burgers, steaks and massive gas stations, but in return, we – Cowboys fans and Americans – have re- ceived numerous, majestic lessons on how to simply be a fan and live in the moment. Welcome to Dallas* from p4 Fans rooting for Mexico, the Netherlands, Japan and South Africa found ways to celebrate the World Cup in North Texas.
