{"id":188330,"date":"2026-03-03T12:09:31","date_gmt":"2026-03-03T12:09:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/188330\/"},"modified":"2026-03-03T12:09:31","modified_gmt":"2026-03-03T12:09:31","slug":"world-cup-2026-stadium-guides-welcome-to-dallas-stadium-home-of-the-cowboys-and-a-semi-final-venue","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/188330\/","title":{"rendered":"World Cup 2026 stadium guides: Welcome to Dallas Stadium, home of the Cowboys and a semi-final venue"},"content":{"rendered":"

This article is part of our World Cup Stadium Guides series<\/a>, in which we look at the 16 venues that will host matches at the 2026 tournament.<\/p>\n

The primetime soap opera bearing the city\u2019s name. Dallas-Fort Worth, the busiest airport in the world. Dealey Plaza, where John F. Kennedy, the 35th United States President, was assassinated. Its strong sporting heritage, headlined by the Dallas Cowboys, who play in one of America\u2019s most famous stadiums.<\/p>\n

But for the duration of this summer\u2019s World Cup, that stadium will take on a new identity as a soccer destination. Here, The Athletic breaks down everything you need to know about the spaceship-like AT&T Stadium, located around 18 miles west of Dallas.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s it known as normally? And what will it be called at the World Cup?<\/p>\n

The AT&T Stadium. The American telecommunications company acquired naming rights to the stadium in 2013 and has retained the sponsorship ever since. Colloquially, it\u2019s known by the nickname \u201cJerry World\u201d, a suggestion that it is the Disney World-like playground for the Cowboys\u2019 longtime eccentric owner, Jerry Jones.<\/p>\n

In keeping with FIFA\u2019s strict rules on naming rights for competition venues, it will be referred to as \u2018Dallas Stadium\u2019 for the duration of the tournament, despite being located in Arlington, a city near Dallas with a population of nearly 400,000.<\/p>\n

When was the stadium opened, how much did it cost, and who normally plays there?<\/p>\n

Of course, none of this came cheap. Before construction broke ground on the stadium site in September 2005, the build was expected to cost around $650million, but the final cost surpassed $1.2billion \u2014 almost double the initial estimate. It was partly funded by Arlington\u2019s council, which increased sales, hotel occupancy, and car rental taxes to raise its $325m contribution.<\/p>\n

Jones, helped by a loan from the NFL, stumped up the rest, but his investment did not stop there. Since its opening in May 2009, Jones has invested an additional $500m into the stadium. Designed with the World Cup in mind, there have been recent improvements to the jumbotron, suites, and technology displays.<\/p>\n

The Dallas Cowboys, known as \u201cAmerica\u2019s Team\u201d for their success and popularity since the 1970s, moved in for the 2009 NFL season and have played there ever since.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\n Jerry Jones speaks in front of his new stadium during the Cowboys Stadium ribbon-cutting event in Arlington in 2009 (James D. Smith\/Icon SMI\/Corbis\/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)<\/p>\n

It has also hosted the annual Cotton Bowl Classic since 2010, which now serves as either the quarter-final or semi-final of the college football playoffs.<\/p>\n

What are the most famous moments that have happened there?<\/p>\n

The Cowboys have not advanced past the divisional round since their last Super Bowl win in 1996, so AT&T Stadium is yet to see its most famous tenant celebrate reaching the Super Bowl. Still, it already has a long history of hosting its fair share of famous moments, sporting or otherwise.<\/p>\n

Jones, the stadium\u2019s owner, loves breaking records, and he\u2019s had some success. It hosted the 2010 NBA All-Star Game, featuring legends like LeBron James and Kobe Bryant, which drew 108,713 fans, shattering the basketball attendance record by more than 30,000.<\/p>\n

In college football, Georgia ended the fifth-longest gap between championship seasons in 2022, ending a 40-year drought by beating the Alabama Crimson Tide 33-18 at AT&T. It\u2019s also broken records away from the sporting arena, with country singer George Strait\u2019s 2014 solo concert drawing a crowd of 104,793, a North American indoor record.<\/p>\n

The 2011 Super Bowl is as famous for the attempt to fit as many people as possible into the stadium as it is for the game itself. Jones added around 15,000 temporary seats to boost the capacity to around 105,000, enough to beat the 1980 Super Bowl held at the Rose Bowl, just outside of Los Angeles.<\/p>\n

Shortly before kick-off, however, the NFL deemed around 1,250 of the temporary seats unsafe, leaving paying customers without a seat to watch the game. Falling 766 short, the record still belongs to the Rose Bowl (103,985), and the Super Bowl has never returned to Arlington.<\/p>\n

How many fans can the stadium hold? And will it be at maximum capacity for the World Cup?<\/p>\n

For Cowboys games, the stadium seats 80,000 people, but it has accommodated more than 100,000 for sports events and concerts in the past.<\/p>\n

It will be FIFA\u2019s decision on final attendance for matches at the World Cup, but for context, it welcomed 82,026 fans for a pre-season friendly between Barcelona and Real Madrid in 2023.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

In October<\/a>, FIFA published that the capacity during the tournament would be 70,122 (with a caveat that the net capacity may change due to ongoing stadium configuration).<\/p>\n

What kind of pitch does it have, and has it had to change for the World Cup?<\/p>\n

Having hosted all manner of events from boxing matches to rodeo, the surface changes pretty frequently.<\/p>\n

The Cowboys play on artificial turf, but FIFA require a predominantly grass pitch to be installed for the World Cup. The stadium manager has built a bespoke irrigation system for the event, with grass grown on a farm thousands of miles away in Colorado, which will be shipped over by refrigerated trucks ahead of the event.<\/p>\n

While the length of the field used for gridiron football matches will not be an issue, soccer pitches are wider, so the surface level will be raised by roughly 28 inches (71 centimetres), and portions of 12 of the sideline hospitality suites will be removed to ensure the playing surface meets FIFA guidelines.<\/p>\n

What are the typical temperatures in June\/July, and will fans be sheltered at games?<\/p>\n

Arlington is known for hot and humid summers. Fans should expect highs of around 93-96 Fahrenheit (34-36 Celsius), so make sure to pack a hat, sunglasses and plenty of sunscreen.<\/p>\n

Dallas Stadium has the largest retractable roof of its kind in the world and air conditioning, so for matches taking place earlier in the day, including the Argentina-Austria group match, which kicks off at 12pm local time, organisers may opt to protect spectators and players. But for the later matches, including Jordan-Argentina, which kicks off at 9pm local, the roof may be left open.<\/p>\n

Are they changing anything else for the World Cup?<\/p>\n

Due to FIFA\u2019s rules around sponsorship, there will (or should, at least) be no sign of the AT&T logo or branding around the stadium. That means the AT&T Stadium logo at the top and the exterior wings will be covered, as will any interior pitchside branding.<\/p>\n

But the stadium experience itself will remain largely the same. Hate it or love it, the four-sided jumbotron TV screen will still hang over players on the halfway line. In fact, it\u2019s recently been upgraded to 4K monitors, so even if it slightly obstructs your view of the pitch, you\u2019ll get a crystal-clear picture at eye level.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\n (James D. Smith\/Dallas Cowboys)<\/p>\n

How do I get there?<\/p>\n

While formal announcements are expected in March, CBS News<\/a> reports that plans are underway to improve public transportation during the tournament. If these proposals come to fruition, fans will be able to board a Trinity Railway Express train from downtown Dallas or Fort Worth to the CentrePort\/DFW Airport station. From there, fans can board a bus for a 10-15 minute drive to the stadium.<\/p>\n

If you would prefer to drive or book a rideshare or taxi, the AT&T Stadium is about 18 miles west of Dallas and 15 miles east of Fort Worth. At off-peak times, a rideshare (Uber\/Lyft) service typically costs around $30, but can reach $100 before or after a game or concert, according to locals. That may still work out cheaper than driving to the stadium; the cheapest parking pass for England vs Croatia through FIFA\u2019s official channels is listed at $125, at the time of publication.<\/p>\n

What can fans expect at the stadium?<\/p>\n

Great food, drink and atmosphere. Before the game, head to Texas Live!, a 5,000-capacity entertainment venue with live entertainment and plenty to eat and drink, with North Texas BBQ grill Lockhart Smokehouse, celebrity chef Guy Fieri\u2019s \u2018Taco Joint\u2019 and Troy\u2019s, a bar and restaurant named after legendary Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman, all popular with local fans.<\/p>\n

You can book a stadium tour in advance, where you can meet Cowboys owner Jerry Jones in hologram form (seriously). It\u2019s an interactive experience where fans can ask Jones questions about his upbringing and his ownership of America\u2019s Team, with AI providing answers.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

But if that\u2019s not your idea of fun, you can always head two miles north to Six Flags Over Texas, the original amusement park in the Six Flags chain. And if you get there early, or head straight there after the game, you\u2019ll miss the traffic and rideshare surge prices.<\/p>\n

Is there anything else we should know about this stadium?<\/p>\n

It\u2019s really, really big. It measures three million square feet (2.7 million sq. metres), and the entire Statue of Liberty (including the base) could fit into the stadium with the roof closed.<\/p>\n

Which games are being played there?<\/p>\n

There will be at least two opportunities to see Lionel Messi in action, with two of Argentina’s group games taking place at the stadium. Other highlights include England v Croatia, a repeat of the 2018 semi-final, as well as four knockout matches, culminating with the first semi-final on July 14.<\/p>\n

June 14. Group F. Netherlands v Japan (3pm local, 9pm GMT)\u00a0
\nJune 17. Group L. England v Croatia (3pm local, 9pm GMT)
\nJune 22. Group J. Argentina v Austria (12pm local, 6pm GMT)
\nJune 25. Group F, Japan v Albania\/Poland\/Sweden\/Ukraine (6pm local, 12pm GMT)
\nJune 27. Group J. Jordan v Argentina (9pm local, 3am GMT)
\nJune 30. Round of 32. (12pm local, 6pm GMT)
\nJuly 3. Round of 32. (1pm local, 7pm GMT)
\nJuly 6. Round of 16. (2pm local, 8pm GMT)
\nJuly 14. Semi-final. (2pm local, 8pm GMT)<\/p>\n

The Stadium Guides series is part of a partnership with StubHub.<\/p>\n

The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"This article is part of our World Cup Stadium Guides series, in which we look at the 16…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":188331,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[102,104,103,38362,75054,731,4768],"class_list":["post-188330","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-dallas","tag-dallas","tag-dallas-headlines","tag-dallas-news","tag-fifa-mens-world-cup","tag-international-football","tag-soccer","tag-us-mens-national-team"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/188330","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=188330"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/188330\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/188331"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=188330"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=188330"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=188330"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}