With the 2026 FIFA World Cup now just months away, Dallas city leaders are taking steps to ensure the city is ready to safely host matches.

At Monday’s public safety meeting, top emergency management and public safety officials went over how they’re coordinating with one another and preparing for fans. 

Attending the 1994 World Cup and seeing Brazil beat the Netherlands at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas is one of Marlyn Moreno’s dad’s favorite memories.

“We just want to repeat the same thing my dad experienced,” she said. “It’s once in a lifetime.” 

She says as soon as ticket registration opened for next year’s World Cup matches, she signed up.

“We have a home ticket,” she said. “We still don’t know who’s going to play yet, but we’re excited about it.” 

Monday afternoon, Dallas city leaders got an update on World Cup safety plans, giving council members a chance to see how top emergency management and public safety teams are working together to prepare for the massive event.

  • A joint operations center, led by the FBI, will coordinate the overall response.
  • A regional operations center will integrate federal, state, and local agencies.
  • There will also be dedicated centers for public information, intelligence, and tactical response. 
  • Each city will manage its own operations within the larger security plan.

“Our core objective is to ensure public safety and security and maintain operational continuity across the full duration of the tournament,” Dallas Deputy Director of Emergency Management & Crisis Response Travis Houston said. 

In Dallas, emergency management is working with Dallas Fire-Rescue to create an incident management team that will monitor and support city services throughout the event. 

“I’m hoping they’re prepared, they’ve done special events in the past like the Super Bowl and I believe they are now ready for it,” Moreno said. 

The final draw for the World Cup is set for December 5 and that’s when we’ll get a clearer picture of what the event will look like here in North Texas and which fan bases will be coming. Monday night, city and event officials say they’ll keep fine-tuning their plans as more details come in. 

More from CBS News