North Texas is preparing to host its ninth and final World Cup match Tuesday, but two Dallas-area leaders say the tournament’s impact reaches beyond what happens on the field.
Entrepreneur Abteen Vaziri and Create Church Lead Pastor Ryan Binkley joined Sarah Zubiate Bennett on Let’s Talk Local to discuss how the World Cup is giving international visitors a firsthand look at Dallas, Texas hospitality and American life.
North Texas will host more World Cup matches than any other host market, with its ninth and final match, a semifinal at Dallas Stadium in Arlington, set for Tuesday, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
A family story shaped by soccer and Iran
Vaziri traced his connection to soccer to his grandfather, who he said played goalkeeper for Iran’s national team and the Crown team in the 1950s.
He also recounted why his grandfather dumped his medals and trophies into the ocean after Iran’s revolution. Vaziri said the family history continues to shape his complicated feelings about Iran’s national team.
At the same time, he said the tournament has allowed international visitors to experience America for themselves.
“The food is great. Everyone’s welcoming. Everything’s nice and clean and safe. We have the best stadiums in the world,” Vaziri said.
Sports, faith and common ground
Binkley said sports give people a chance to connect without first sorting one another by politics.
“We’re not as divided as we think,” Binkley said.
Binkley said Create Church has sent evangelism teams to World Cup watch parties, where members meet visitors, offer prayer and share their faith with those who are interested.
He described hospitality as a way to show visitors that Dallas cares about them, while Vaziri shared stories about international fans discovering North Texas barbecue and other parts of local culture.
The World Cup discussion is only one part of a wider episode covering faith, business, artificial intelligence, Iran and the future of America.
Watch the segment above, then see the full Let’s Talk Local conversation with Ryan Binkley and Abteen Vaziri.
Provided by Dallas Express
