Poland still needs to qualify for the World Cup first. They are in UEFA Playoff B with Ukraine, Sweden and Albania. But if they make it, North Texas is their pick.
FRISCO, Texas — North Texas has reportedly secured its first World Cup base camp commitment — if Poland qualifies for the tournament in its playoff.
Reports from Polish media say that Poland has picked Toyota Stadium in Frisco to be their base camp in the event that they qualify for the World Cup. Poland is one of the four teams that will compete in UEFA Playoff B alongside Ukraine, Sweden and Albania.Â
WFAA has reached out to the North Texas FWC Organizing Committee and FC Dallas officials for comment on the report. WFAA has also reached out to Marriott officials, who own the Frisco hotel paired with Toyota Stadium, for comment. Officials with both North Texas FWC Organizing Committee and FC Dallas could not immediately comment on the report. WFAA has not heard back from Marriott hotel officials.
The UEFA playoff qualifiers take place on March 26 and March 31. Poland is set to play Albania in the playoff semifinal, and if they win, would take on the winner of Ukraine and Sweden on March 31. The winner of UEFA Playoff B will be inserted into Group F.Â
Should Poland come out as winners of this playoff, they’d have two matches in Texas during the group stage: Saturday, June 20 against Netherlands in “Houston Stadium” and Thursday, June 25 against Japan in “Dallas Stadium.”Â
None of the 42 nations who have already qualified have picked North Texas as a base camp. Texas as a whole has only locked in one country: Saudi Arabia, who picked Austin.
FIFA has yet to make an official announcement for base camp designations.
DFW has four team base camps paired with hotels live on its website: Toyota Stadium and the Westin Stonebriar Golf Resort & Spa in Frisco; Texas Christian University and the Sheraton Fort Worth Downtown Hotel in Fort Worth; the University of North Texas and Embassy Suites by Hilton Denton Convention Center in Denton; and the new Mansfield Stadium with the Hilton Garden Inn Dallas/Arlington South.
The Cotton Bowl and SMU are venue-specific training sites where teams will be required to train at in the lead up the week of their matches at AT&T Stadium, FIFA Dallas officials told WFAA last month.
There have not been any national teams to announce their selection for a DFW-based site, but sources told WFAA there have been numerous national team visits to these North Texas venues.
The FIFA World Cup kicks off on June 11, where host nation Mexico takes on South Africa. The first match in DFW will be the Netherlands vs. Japan on June 14.