Somewhere between 12,000 and 15,000 England fans have made the transatlantic trek to North Texas, transforming the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex into a temporary outpost of English football culture. The occasion: England’s 2026 FIFA World Cup opener against Croatia, scheduled for June 17 at 3 p.m. CDT at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
For those keeping score at home, this is the same matchup that ended England’s 2018 World Cup run in the semi-finals, when Croatia came from behind to win in extra time.
Texas-sized tailgate
Local pubs and venues across the area have become staging grounds for pre-match celebrations, with fans from both nations mingling ahead of the match.
Each team received roughly 4,000 ticket allocations for the match, meaning a significant chunk of the traveling England contingent will be watching from bars, fan zones, and hotel lobbies rather than inside the stadium.
