Irving Police Address Security Challenges Ahead of FIFA World Cup 2026

As North Texas gears up for the FIFA World Cup next year, the Irving Police Department is raising alarms about potential staffing shortages and safety measures. During a city council meeting on Thursday, Assistant Chief Tom Hover detailed the department's apprehensions.

"Everybody compares the World Cup games to a Super Bowl," Hover stated, emphasizing a crucial distinction. "But the difference between a Super Bowl and what's happening with FIFA is there's only one Super Bowl, while there are 104 games that are going on for FIFA World Cup."

The police department is advocating for a budget allocation ranging from $1,706,277 to $5,921,266 for overtime expenses, contingent on team selections that will not be finalized until after January 1.

While Arlington's AT&T Stadium will host nine high-profile matches—the most in North America—Irving will serve as a significant base camp. This means the city can expect heightened activity beyond initial estimates, according to Hover.

"While Arlington hosts the games themselves, the rest of the cities in [North Texas] will be contributing to the movements of the teams, the security of the teams, whether it's to and from practice or to and from the events itself or back and forth into the airport," he explained.

Hover also highlighted that daily operations in Irving must continue amidst the influx of visitors. Parking issues are anticipated as a result of the event.

"Our day-to-day lives, our community still does their normal, everyday work," he noted. "And so not only do we have to prepare for what the World Cup is, but we have to continue providing the same services and the same level of services to our community. So it's going to be a challenge."

Concerns linger among council members regarding whether they would receive reimbursement for any approved funding related to these security measures.