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Former Dallas Mavericks player Dirk Nowitzki listens with FC Dallas midfielder Paxton Pomykal as former Dallas Cowboys player Emmitt Smith addresses a press conference at AT&T Stadium after the match schedule for FIFA World Cup 2026 was revealed via a televised announcement on Sunday, Feb. 4, 2024, in Arlington. AT&T Stadium missed out on the World Cup Final, but will host nine matches, the most in the tournament.<\/p>\n
Smiley N. Pool\/Staff Photographer<\/p>\n
Dirk Nowitzki was just a preteen when West Germany won the FIFA World Cup in 1990.<\/p>\n
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The Wurzburg native recalls a period of jubilation for his home country, a celebration that forged his love of soccer long before he was drafted to play in the\u00a0NBA with the\u00a0Dallas Mavericks<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s just a great childhood memory of mine,\u201d Nowitzki told\u00a0The Dallas Morning News this week. \u201cI remember people were going insane in the streets. Running around, honking their cars, celebrating. The country was shut down for days after. It\u2019s just an incredible moment that I remember watching the game with my dad. I\u2019ll never forget it.\u201d<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n But until Sunday, when he watched Japan and the Netherlands play to a 2-2 draw in Arlington<\/a>, the Hall of Fame forward\u00a0had never attended a World Cup game in person.\u00a0Nowitzki had a chance to attend the World Cup in 2006, but the German national team lost the day after the Miami Heat defeated his Mavericks in the Finals.<\/p>\n \u201cNot only did I lose in the Finals in \u201906, but also didn\u2019t get to go to Germany and watch the World Cup. That was a pretty frustrating summer,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Nowitzki hopes to create more positive World Cup memories this summer in Dallas, one of 16 North American host cities for the\u00a0FIFA World Cup. The tournament features nine matches in Arlington, including five group-stage games and the first semifinal game.<\/p>\n The Mavericks legend has been a longtime advocate for soccer, a sport he played as a child, and he\u2019s elated his North Texas home is one of the epicenters of the world\u2019s biggest tournament.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Dallas Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki places a scarf on the Lamar Hunt statue before a game between FC Dallas and Chivas USA on June 23, 2012.<\/p>\n Matthew Visinsky\/Icon SMI<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s very important that Dallas is a big host city and becomes a centerpiece of the FIFA World Cup,\u201d Nowitzki told The News. \u201cWe can showcase how big sports is here, how welcoming we are. The stadium is amazing, and we just have first-class facilities.<\/p>\n \u201cI just think that Texans are always welcoming and super nice and friendly, and we can showcase that. I think it\u2019s amazing that we have nine games, the most of any host city. I\u2019m super thrilled and excited to see what the next three weeks hold.\u201d<\/p>\n Nowitzki, known for his optimism, is somewhat cautious about his hopes for Germany, which beat\u00a0Curacao 7-1<\/a> on Saturday.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have a good team, a young team, a talented team, and we should definitely get out of the group and then we\u2019ll see what happens,\u201d he said. \u201cI really liked how this team came together and some incredible young talent, and we\u2019ll see how far they can take it.\u201d<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n<\/p>\n