DALLAS — AT&T Stadium in Arlington will host nine matches in the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
TV viewers might not know that, though.
Nestled in the World Cup schedule announcements Sunday was this nugget: The home of the Dallas Cowboys will be temporarily renamed "Dallas Stadium" two years from now when it hosts the biggest global sporting event.
The temporary, generic name change is to comply with FIFA's rule against having corporate sponsors attached to World Cup venues, according to the Cowboys' website.
“That's a FIFA decision and Dallas is the biggest city here in the North Texas area, I get it,” said Arlington Mayor Jim Ross.
The generic name change is to comply with FIFA’s rule against having corporate sponsors attached to World Cup venues. Ross says even though some are calling it a snub, he’s not taking it to heart.
“I don't care what you call it. You know, listen, I love Dallas. I love the fact that we have Dallas and Fort Worth as neighbors of ours,” Ross said. “But they can call it whatever they want to. We're going to enjoy every part of it.”
If you notice the official match/venue schedule on FIFA's website, you'll see a similar name trend. Venues such as Los Angeles Stadium (SoFi Stadium), Boston Stadium (Gillette Stadium) and New York New Jersey Stadium (MetLife Stadium) are also among the stadiums changing their names for the World Cup.
The Cowboys' stadium has carried the AT&T name since 2013. AT&T, by the way, is headquartered in Dallas. Before they took over the naming rights, the stadium was known simply as Cowboys Stadium.
How the stadium renaming was settled on Dallas Stadium, as opposed to Arlington Stadium, remains to be seen. But all of the other host stadiums took on the larger cities' names, as opposed to the specific city the stadium is located.
We've reached out to the Cowboys to see if any AT&T Stadium signage will remain in place during the World Cup. The stadium features large AT&T Stadium signage across the top of its dome, which is easily visible from any overhead shot on TV broadcasts.
In the meantime, stadium officials are diving into a $295 million renovation project to get the stadium, built in 2009, ready for the global stage. Mark Williams – VP of Dallas-based HKS Architects is helping with preparations.
“Actually when we started design years ago with the Jones family, HKS thought about yesterday and our initial design meetings,” Williams said.
In order to comply with FIFA's field regulations for the World Cup, the playing surface at AT&T Stadium will be raised 15 feet from where it currently stands. Doing so will accommodate the wider dimensions required by FIFA.
“It's a little bit bigger than a football field and we're going to elevate it a couple feet,” Williams said.
Other updates will include freshening up its premium clubs and suites, and installing new millwork and finishes, according to the Sports Business Journal. While the SBJ said the renovations were expected to start in January, the upgrades aren't expected to be completed until July 2025.