FIFA uses curtains to block sun for World Cup match at AT&T Stadium

That was the plan with kickoff scheduled for 6 p.m., a person familiar with the organization’s thinking told The Dallas Morning News in May. It’s expected to be the only match to need the curtains to negate the sun’s glare, because the other eight matches at the venue are in the early afternoon or after the sun has already set.

The match is the latest event at AT&T Stadium to have curtains blocking the west-facing windows, but don’t expect to add Dallas Cowboys games to that list any time soon. Much like the grass field FIFA is using during the tournament, the curtains are likely destined for storage after the World Cup.

In a 2024 game against the Eagles, Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb missed a ball in the end zone because he was blinded by the sun’s glare.

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“Well, let’s tear the stadium and build another one? Are you kidding me?” he said. “Everybody has got the same thing. Every team that comes in here has the same issues. I’m saying, the world knows where the sun is. You get to know that almost a year in advance.” 

Which means the Cowboys, and other teams, have to prepare accordingly. Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer said last year that they plan for it.

“But I think when you look at historically at what’s happened it really hasn’t affected many situations,” Schottenheimer said in October. “We plan for it. The opponents plan for it. But at the end of the day, it’s something that we’re aware of. It’s very beautiful. It’s majestic when the sun comes through there.”