Welcome World!

The excitement of the FIFA World Cup in Qatar has started to fade. The Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand won’t kick off until July.

But fans of international soccer won’t wait that long to see high-level competition. All eyes are now on Texas. From April 5-9, more than 200 of the most competitive teams on the planet converge on 15 grass fields in Farmers Branch, for the Dallas Texans International Girls Cup.

Fans of youth soccer everywhere will be watching.

The top girls-only tournament in the United States is a cacophony of colors and languages. Teams from everywhere -- Australia, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Denmark, England, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, to name just a few -- compete in 10 age groups, from U-18 all the way down to U-8.

Soccer fans are not the only ones taking notice. Last year, over 100 college coaches attended the International Girls Cup. They scouted top American players, and those from abroad.

Like its FIFA World Cup counterparts, the April event involves far more than soccer. Texas hospitality takes center stage. The spectacular opening ceremony includes a parade, dancing, music, national anthems, and special guest speakers. Previous guest speakers include Tracey Kevins, Anson Dorrance, Becky Burleigh, Tom Sermanni, and Dave van den Bergh.

International team coaches and managers enjoy a festive reception. And – proving that soccer transcends borders and language barriers – all teams from abroad are offered home stays with local families.

The host Dallas Texans Soccer Club, and organizers Premier International Tours, eagerly welcome a stellar 2023 lineup. Among the teams traveling to the US: multi-time Mexican national champion Tigres UNAL; consistent top 3 Danish squad Fortuna Hjorring, the New Zealand Secondary Schools Girls national team, a team from Ukraine, as well as a team from Poland that includes players from their national team.

They join a host of noted American sides, including Legends FC (Arizona), Colorado Rush GA, Rise Soccer Club GA (Houston), Bethesda ECNL (Maryland), MS Rush United (Mississippi), NTH Tophat (Georgia), Manitou FC (Minnesota), Florida Rush, NOSC Blast (Minnesota), and Texas clubs Solar and Sting (both GA and ECNL).

More clubs register every day. For additional information about Dallas Texans International Girls Cup 2023, click on www.dallasinternationalgirlscup.org.