More than 4,000 pack Toyota Stadium for Sweden World Cup training

More than 4,000 Frisco residents and FC Dallas season-ticket holders filled Toyota Stadium on Tuesday to watch Sweden’s national team train, turning a routine practice session into one of the first public World Cup moments the city could actually see and feel. For families in the stands, it was a rare close-up look at elite players preparing for the tournament, and a preview of how North Texas will be pulled into the event before the first local match is even played.

The scene carried extra weight because Sweden had arrived in North Texas on June 6, and Toyota Stadium is serving as the team’s FIFA World Cup 2026 base camp, its primary training and operational headquarters for group play. FIFA says 39 teams will be located in the United States through the base-camp program, part of an effort to bring more communities into the tournament even if they are not hosting matches. In Frisco, that theory became real on the stadium bowl and training pitch, where children watched national-team drills unfold just steps from the action.

Toyota Stadium itself is in the middle of a nearly $180 million renovation, but the construction did not appear to slow the crowd’s excitement. Frisco City Council approved a $182 million public-private partnership on Sept. 17, 2024, to modernize the venue with more than 3,400 new seats, updated sports lighting, expanded luxury suites and other infrastructure upgrades. The east side is expected to reopen by summer 2026, with the full project targeted for completion in 2028.

Sweden’s stay also gives Frisco a direct stake in the group stage. The team opens against Tunisia on June 14 in Monterrey, then plays the Netherlands on June 20 in Houston and Japan on June 25 in Dallas. That schedule means Toyota Stadium and Frisco will remain central to Sweden’s daily World Cup routine as the team moves between matches.

The public training session also reinforced how Frisco has spent years building a sports identity around FC Dallas, Toyota Stadium and the cluster of youth-sports and entertainment venues around The Star. FIFA-themed displays there have already become photo stops for visitors, and the city is trying to convert the tournament window into something larger than a few weeks of soccer fever. FC Dallas and the City of Frisco are promoting a free 34-day Soccer Celebration at Simpson Plaza from June 11 through July 19, with live match viewing and the National Soccer Hall of Fame open during the run.

For Frisco, Sweden’s open practice was more than a showpiece. It was a tangible sign that the city’s soccer infrastructure is not just hosting a global event, but helping define how North Texas experiences it.