- AT&T Stadium in Dallas selected for 2026 World Cup finals
- FIFA described the venue as an amazing example of stadium architecture.
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Maracanã, Wembley and Azteca are among the iconic stadiums that hosted soccer’s biggest match, the World Cup Final.
Only 20 venues had the honor of providing the stage for the final, with Maracanã and Azteca taking place twice.
On Sunday, FIFA announced that AT&T Stadium in Dallas will become the 21st stadium and final venue of the 104-game tournament co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
In a two-way battle with New York’s MetLife Stadium, the venue emerged as the winner.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino praised the stadium during a visit in September, and appeared to hint that it would be chosen.
“The stadium is really nice,” Infantino said.
“It’s incredible to be here… It’s important to see all the stadiums and see what’s going on for the fans.”
“I have to say that in America, we are light years ahead of the rest of the world.
“So we’re here to learn, we’re here to confirm, and we’re here to create and organize the biggest, biggest World Cup ever.”
A Swiss official commented while watching the match. The Dallas Cowboys defeated the New York Jets 30-10. it is, Dallas defeats New York again, a precursor to the 2026 finals.
Apparently, Infantino wasn’t too offended by the boos he received when his face appeared on the venue’s screens.
FIFA described the venue as a “stunning example of stadium architecture”, adding that it would offer visitors a “once in a lifetime” experience.
Another factor contributing to the choice of stadium is its capacity. The normal capacity is 80,000, less than MetLife’s 82,500, but the bid document states the venue will be able to accommodate 92,967 fans during the World Cup. .
Its capacity is the highest of the 16 stadiums selected for the expanded 48-team tournament, with the potential to further expand to more than 100,000 seats.
The stadium has been the home of the Dallas Cowboys since 2009, when a nearly £1 billion project was completed.
Originally known as Cowboys Stadium, it reached a naming rights deal with telecommunications company AT&T in 2014. This stadium is also called Jerry World and the Death Star, after Jerry Jones, the owner of the Dallas Cowboys.
Based on FIFA’s policy for World Cup venues to remain sponsor-free, the venue is expected to be known as Dallas Stadium or revert to Cowboys Stadium for the duration of the tournament.
The stadium features more than 300 luxury suites, 10 premium clubs, and multi-level club seating that typically provides premium hospitality during NFL games and will do the same during the World Cup. To do.
This includes Touchdown Suites and Field Suites that offer guests unique views from behind each end zone or from the north or south sidelines during games. The latter also includes a lounge where fans can watch players enter and level the field through the DraftKings Club.
The stadium also has a Hall of Fame Suite, an Owner’s Suite and an Optum Club Suite, the latter of which is said to offer the best experience in the NFL.
The suite features an all-inclusive Legend Club with five-star chef catering and a bar serviced by the city’s top mixologists. Each suite features granite countertops, plush stadium seating, private in-suite restrooms, and views are considered the best in the venue.
Prices for private suites are said to range from £4,700 to £70,000, according to Suite Experience Group. Organizers said in their bid to FIFA that the stadium could accommodate 10,000 people in luxury suites and a further 15,000 in club seats.
The stadium has two arches supporting a retractable roof, making it notable that the World Cup final could be held indoors for the first time in history.
The closed roof and air conditioning controls will allow organizers to hold the July 19 final at cooler temperatures, with Dallas potentially reaching a high of 36 degrees during the month.
“We have over 3 million square feet of air conditioning inside the stadium,” Jones said while officiating the final game.
“The stadium has complete flexibility in terms of weather conditions. We’re going to have basically perfect weather.”
Under the stadium roof is a giant HDTV that is 160 feet wide and 72 feet tall. When the stadium opened, it had the largest video display in the world.
The giant screen, suspended 28 meters above the pitch, cost a reported £31.5 million and took Mitsubishi more than a year to build and four months to install.
The stadium’s extras aren’t just about screens, it also boasts a world-class contemporary art collection. More than 50 of his works by carefully selected international artists are displayed on the venue’s walls and public spaces.
The stadium typically hosts NFL events and hosted the Super Bowl in 2011, but has also repeatedly hosted large-scale events and concerts.
This includes hosting the 2010 NBA All-Star Game and boxing matches between Manny Pacquiao and Canelo Alvarez. The 2021 fight between Alvarez and Billy Joe Saunders drew a record audience of 73,126 for an indoor boxing match in the United States.
Stadiums are increasingly welcoming soccer matches, with major clubs such as Barcelona, Real Madrid and Chelsea hosting matches alongside the Mexican national team.
Key matches of the CONCACAF Gold Cup will be played at this venue, and the stadium will also host matches at this summer’s Copa America.
Dallas’ bid team emphasized that these matches demonstrated their experience switching between grass pitches and grass pitches, the latter being required by FIFA for the World Cup.
“We’ve done this a number of times, modifying the stadium boundaries and basically removing some of the field-level infrastructure,” Jones said.
“That’s what the stadium was built for. It’s not just flexible; [to install natural] Grass, but you can also set the actual field size. ”
This comment was supported by Dan Hunt, Dallas’ World Cup bid committee chairman and FC Dallas president. Hunt’s late father, businessman Lamar Hunt, was a key figure in the growth of the American professional game in the 1990s and was instrumental in hosting the 1994 World Cup.
“Now that we have proven that we can put a grass field in the stadium, there will be minimal renovations to the stadium,” Hunt said.
“I think a lot of venues are struggling with what changes they have to make.
“I’m in the NFL business, so I’m familiar with a lot of these stadiums. AT&T doesn’t seem to undertake much renovation work.”
Dallas also aims to host the World Cup’s broadcast center and referee headquarters during the tournament.
FIFA previously hosted six games at the Cotton Bowl during the 1994 FIFA World Cup, with Dallas hosting its tournament headquarters and IBC in the Texas city.
Globe Life Field and Choctaw Stadium, the current and former home of the Texas Rangers baseball team, are designated sites for large-scale fan festivals during the World Cup.
“We could lock down this whole area and hold a ticketed event for over 200,000 people, which is something we’ve never seen before in a World Cup, especially a World Cup final,” Hunt said in October. he said.
“I think this will be a record-setting one.
“FIFA wants to continue to innovate and by doing this we are doing something that may or may not be done again.”
One potential problem facing fans is that AT&T is currently inaccessible by public transportation, but Dallas organizers insist plans are on track.
The stadium is now set to become the second venue in the United States to host the FIFA Men’s World Cup Finals, joining California’s iconic Rose Bowl.