Temporary Changes at AT&T Stadium for World Cup Matches

For the past 17 seasons, the Dallas Cowboys have hosted their home games at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Renowned for its large video board above the 50-yard line, the venue is now temporarily called Dallas Stadium as it hosts several World Cup matches.

While the end zones, yard markers, and artificial turf have been removed from the retractable-roof stadium for soccer matches, one modification stood out to Cowboys’ coach Brian Schottenheimer: curtains installed to prevent sunlight from hitting the natural grass field.

I’m a big World Cup fan. Watching games and seeing the changes got my attention. It’s different with the shades up. They’re going to miss the full experience, Schottenheimer remarked.

The glaring natural light has been an ongoing issue since the Cowboys settled into the billion-dollar stadium in 2009. In 2017, during a game against the Kansas City Chiefs, Cowboy receivers blamed the sun’s glare for missed catches. In a 2021 playoff game, Cedrick Wilson struggled with seeing a pass due to the light. The following year, Michael Gallup missed a potential touchdown, likely due to the same problem.

Schottenheimer humorously referred to the stadium light as majestic earlier in his tenure as head coach. We’ve worked on a plan with satellite imaging and sun pattern pictures to address it. Historical data show it doesn’t affect many plays, but it’s still beautiful when it cuts through, he said.

AT&T Stadium hosted its first World Cup match on June 14, with the Netherlands and Japan tying 1-1. Known as ‘Jerry World’ after long-time Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, the stadium held its second tournament match on Wednesday when England beat Croatia 4-2. Curtains were used for both games and are expected again on June 22 when Argentina plays Austria, featuring Lionel Messi.