Arlington’s World Cup stage is set — or at least the grass is.
After months of work and planning, the pitch where some of the best soccer players from across the world will play was installed at AT&T Stadium.
Ewen Hodge, the head of pitch infrastructure for the FIFA World Cup, hasn’t had a chance to soak in the fact that the initial field work is done. Still, he said seeing the close-to-final product was meaningful.
“This has been a special one from day one,” Hodge said. “It’s fantastic. The moment you get to see the grass laid down, it’s a special day.”
Getting the field ready wasn’t an easy task.
AT&T Stadium, called Dallas Stadium during the World Cup due to FIFA’s branding rules, usually has artificial turf.
FIFA requires natural turf fields at stadiums hosting 2026 World Cup matches. To make it work, stadium leadership removed the turf and AT&T Stadium’s lower-level suites, raised the level of the field roughly 24 inches and added a layer of sod and natural grass.
Stadium officials raised the field to meet soccer field dimension requirements, Hodge said. Installation for the field began around May 8.
LED lamps hang above the new grass field at AT&T Stadium May 14, 2026, ahead of the FIFA World Cup. (Bianca Rodriguez-Mora | Fort Worth Report)
The sod, or the upper layer of turf where living grass and roots are, is made of a mixture of Kentucky bluegrass and ryegrass, Hodge said.
The two grasses are considered to be “cool-season grasses,” which are acclimatized to cooler temperatures, according to FIFA’s natural turf guidelines.
General manager Tod Martin said AT&T Stadium is expected to stay between 70 and 72 degrees during games.
Alongside the sod layer, Hodge said the grounds workers will begin weaving synthetic fibers into the natural grass to reinforce the field.
The reinforcement is imperative for player safety, Hodge said.
“That has been an element that really holds that safety together on the field and provides us a level of comfort in everything that we do for each game and how we prepare each tournament,” Hodge said.
The natural field is temporary, despite NFL Players Association concerns about the World Cup changes. The football players want grass year-round.
Studies have shown that artificial fields saw more injuries than natural fields in some NFL seasons. Some experts contend not enough data exists to prove causation.
Changing the field permanently would be complicated, Martin said.
“The building was not designed to do this, especially regularly,” Martin said. “The complexity and the amount of time, it would be very tough. To be able to schedule all of our other events that we host here, that’d be a challenge.”
As for the field’s growth and upkeep, the stadium marked a first for FIFA.
Across the world, stadiums started using special pink LED lights meant to stimulate natural grass growth. The lights are usually wheeled onto the natural turf between games.
AT&T Stadium suspended the lights from the ceiling.
“It is a first for the world to hang these grow lights,” Hodge said.
The lights will be raised toward the roof during games and dropped back down between matches, Martin said. The stadium will host a total of nine matches — the most of any host city.
The idea was born out of a hope to reduce the field’s wear and tear, he said.
The feedback Martin received from FIFA officials on the work has been great.
“They love it so far,” Martin said. “They wish or hope it would go to some other venues, from what they’ve told me.”
With just under a month to go before the first World Cup game in Arlington, Hodge said FIFA and the AT&T Stadium crew passed a major milestone.
“We know that we’ve had natural grass fields for short periods inside stadiums like this before, but we’re going to be in here for 63 or 64 days,” Hodge said. “The idea is that now, we’re bringing a new kind of idea — that it can happen for that long.”
Chris Moss is a reporter for the Arlington Report. Contact him at chris.moss@arlingtonreport.org.
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