AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, hosts match ten of the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Sunday evening when the Netherlands face Japan. FIFA strips commercial branding from all host venues during the tournament, so the stadium is known officially as Dallas Stadium for the competition's duration.
The Vision and Construction
Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones commissioned the stadium to replace Texas Stadium, the team's home from 1971 through the 2008 season. Groundbreaking took place on September 20, 2005, and construction ran through to completion on May 27, 2009.
The final cost reached approximately $1.3 billion (approximately KES 168 billion), making it one of the most expensive sports venues ever built at the time. Arlington voters approved a half-cent sales tax increase in 2004, contributing $325 million (approximately KES 42 billion) toward construction.
Dallas Stadium roof view /433
Architecture firm HKS, Inc., led by Bryan Trubey, designed the stadium. Structural engineering was shared between Walter P. Moore and Campbell and Associates, with general contracting handled by a joint alliance of Manhattan Construction, Rayco Construction, and 3i Construction.
World Cup Debut and International Events
Dallas Stadium has already hosted Super Bowl XLV, college football playoff games, and the NCAA Final Four. It is one of eleven United States venues selected for the 2026 World Cup.
The Netherlands and Japan meet here in a Group F fixture today. The stadium also hosts matches involving Argentina, England, and Spain across the group stage, before staging a semifinal in July.
Engineering and Design
Jones drew inspiration from the distinctive roof shape of Texas Stadium, the venue this one replaced. The new retractable roof rests on two steel arches, each approximately 300 feet (91 metres) tall, spanning the length of the dome.
The entrance to Dallas Stadium /Yahoo! Sports
The arches are described as the longest single-span arches in the world, at 1,225 feet (373 metres) long. A full roof opening or closing sequence takes around 12 minutes, run by mechanization specialists Uni-Systems.
The stadium's end zones feature glass doors measuring 180 feet (55 metres) wide and 120 feet (37 metres) tall, the largest operable glass doors in the world. They can open independently of the roof, allowing airflow through the bowl even when the dome stays sealed.
Modern Setup for 2026
Dallas Stadium has a standard capacity of 80,000, expandable to over 100,000 with standing room for major events. FIFA's natural grass requirement means the venue's Hellas Matrix Turf with Helix soft-top surface has been temporarily replaced for the tournament.
The fan atmosphere inside the Dallas Stadium /433
The centre-hung video board was the largest high-definition screen in the world when installed, complemented by more than 3,000 additional displays across the concourses and luxury suites.
What Makes It Unique
Dallas Stadium is widely described as the largest domed stadium in the world by enclosed volume, and the world's largest air-conditioned room, given its scale and sealed configuration when the roof is closed.
The stadium is commonly known locally as Jerry World, after the Cowboys owner who pushed the original $650 million budget to roughly double that figure during construction, driven by expanding ambitions rather than delays.
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