2026 World Cup Venue · Arlington, Texas
Texas-sized spectacle. AT&T Stadium in Arlington is one of America's most iconic sports venues — home of the Dallas Cowboys, and one of the most visually striking stadiums ever built.
AT&T Stadium — originally dubbed "Jerry Jones' World Cup" in early planning discussions — opened in 2009 as the crown jewel of the Dallas Cowboys' empire. The venue's defining architectural feature is its massive retractable roof, which can open in under 10 minutes, and its 360° HD scoreboard that hangs over the field like a floating city block. The interior is cavernous: with no interior columns, the sightlines from every seat are unobstructed, and the 100-yard field can be configured for concerts, basketball, and other events.
Arlington sits between Dallas and Fort Worth in the DFW metroplex — the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States with a population of over 7.5 million. The region is one of the most culturally diverse in America, with enormous Mexican, Central American, and Asian communities that ensure the World Cup will feel at home here. The DFW airport hub is one of the world's busiest, connecting every corner of the globe.
June in North Texas is hot — average highs of 93°F (34°C) with high humidity. The stadium's climate control system manages the interior temperature, and the retractable roof can be opened for natural ventilation when conditions are comfortable. FIFA's medical protocols account for heat, and match scheduling will factor in Texas summer conditions. Players who have trained or played in the US Southeast or the Gulf region will feel right at home.
By Public Transit: The Trinity Railway Express (TRE) connects Dallas Union Station and Fort Worth Central Station, stopping near the stadium area at the CentrePort/DFW Airport station, with shuttle buses to the venue on event days. Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) also operates matchday bus shuttles from central Dallas stations.
By Car: AT&T Stadium has over 20,000 parking spaces on-site, sold as part of event parking packages. Prices are significant on major event days. Driving from central Dallas takes 20–40 minutes via I-30; from Fort Worth via I-30 West, approximately 20 minutes. Texas heat makes parking lots genuinely uncomfortable in June — hydrate accordingly.
By Rideshare: Uber and Lyft are fully operational. Dedicated event-day pickup/dropoff zones are located on the north and south sides of the stadium. Surge pricing is common around major events.
Six Flags Over Texas & Hurricane Harbor: Adjacent to the stadium, making Arlington a full entertainment district for families. The theme park is a short walk from the gates.
Gleneagles Country Club and Texas Golf: Dallas-Fort Worth is one of the world's great golf destinations, with dozens of championship courses within 30 minutes of the stadium.
Downtown Dallas: 25 minutes west on I-30. The Arts District, Deep Ellum's music scene, Klyde Warren Park, and the historic Dealey Plaza are all accessible for a pre- or post-match day trip.
Fort Worth Stockyards: 30 minutes northwest — authentic Texas cowboy culture, saloons, and the famous cattle drive down Exchange Avenue.
Jerry Jones built the Dallas Cowboys into America's Team, and AT&T Stadium is the physical manifestation of that ambition. The stadium regularly hosts the NFL's marquee events — playoff games, Super Bowl watch parties, the annual Draft — and it brings the same showmanship to the World Cup. The Texas heat, the Cowboys culture, and the sheer scale of the venue create an atmosphere unlike anything in world football: part NFL spectacle, part Mexican passion, part Southern hospitality.
The Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex's demographics make it a natural World Cup host. The region's Hispanic population — predominantly Mexican in heritage — means that matches featuring El Tri or any CONCACAF team will feel like home games. The Mexican fan culture in Dallas is legendary, and the city's love for football runs deep. AT&T Stadium has hosted international football friendlies, Copa América matches, and will bring all of that energy to the 2026 World Cup.
AT&T Stadium is set to host several Group F matches during the 2026 World Cup, giving Texas fans the chance to see multiple nations compete in the opening stages. The venue will also host at least one Round of 16 tie — a stage that regularly produces some of the tournament's most dramatic moments. Based on FIFA's slot allocation for DFW venues, the stadium's massive capacity makes it a strong candidate for later-stage knockout matches as the tournament progresses toward its latter stages in July.
June in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex means one thing: heat. Average high temperatures hover around 93°F (34°C), with lows of 74°F (23°C) at night. Combined with humidity levels that frequently push the heat index above 100°F (38°C), outdoor activity in the afternoon can be genuinely uncomfortable. Fortunately, AT&T Stadium's full climate control — a rarity for American football venues — means the interior stays comfortable even when the Texas sun is at its most intense. Matches scheduled for evening start times (local time) will be significantly more manageable for players and fans alike. Afternoon matches will test the fitness of teams not accustomed to subtropical heat and humidity.
NFL stadiums configure seating for American football's rectangular pitch. For the World Cup, AT&T Stadium's capacity will be set by FIFA at approximately 80,000 — slightly reduced from the NFL configuration to provide safe-standing zones behind the goals and comply with FIFA's sightline requirements for football. The natural grass FieldTurf Core playing surface will be replaced with a temporary football pitch laid over the existing substrate. The stadium's monumental scale — no interior columns means unobstructed sightlines from every seat — actually benefits football, offering clean views from what would be upper-deck seats in a smaller venue. Team tunnel access is via the north and south ends, media facilities housed in the lower bowl.
Super Bowl XLV (2011): Aaron Rogers threw three touchdown passes as the Green Bay Packers defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 31-25 in front of 103,219 fans — then the largest crowd in Super Bowl history at the time. It remains one of the most-watched Super Bowls ever.
NCAA Final Four (2014): Connecticut's Shabazz Napier drilled a three-pointer with 2.2 seconds left to lift UConn past Kentucky 60-54 in the national championship game — cementing the 2014 Final Four as one of the most dramatic in tournament history.
CeeLo Green halftime (2011): Before the big game had even kicked off, the retractable roof became a talking point — its rapid opening mechanism was demonstrated in under 10 minutes, showcasing the engineering ambition behind the building.
AT&T Stadium will host a selection of Group F matches and at least one Round of 16 fixture at the 2026 World Cup. The Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex's enormous population and its position as a major international travel hub mean that matches here will draw diverse crowds from across the Americas and beyond. The stadium's climate-controlled interior makes it uniquely capable of handling the Texas summer heat while delivering a world-class matchday experience — and the Mexican fan culture in DFW ensures that any El Tri involvement will feel like a home game.
June in North Texas is genuinely hot — average highs of 95°F (35°C) with overnight lows rarely dropping below 75°F (24°C), and humidity that pushes the heat index well above 100°F (38°C) on the most intense days. Afternoon thunderstorms are possible but inconsistent — Texas summer weather is notoriously variable. The stadium's fully climate-controlled interior means the temperature inside the bowl can be managed regardless of what is happening outside. For fans and players, the key variable is the walk to and from the stadium and tailgate conditions — hydration, shade, and timing are essential. FIFA's match scheduling will prioritise evening kick-offs to minimise heat exposure during play.
AT&T Stadium holds approximately 80,000 for major football events, expandable to over 100,000 with floor seating. FIFA World Cup configuration is expected to set the effective capacity around 80,000 with safe-standing zones, corporate hospitality, and temporary seating replacing some open floor areas. The massive single-column free span — no interior columns obstructing sightlines — means every seat has an unobstructed view of the pitch. The FieldTurf Core surface meets FIFA standards, and the 360° HD scoreboard — one of the largest in the world — will provide an extraordinary visual broadcast experience for World Cup audiences.
AT&T Stadium's most iconic moment was Super Bowl XLVIII in February 2014, when the Seattle Seahawks demolished the Denver Broncos 43-8 in one of the most one-sided Super Bowl performances in history. The stadium has also hosted two NCAA Final Four championships, major boxing events, and countless Cowboys prime-time games. The venue was personally conceived and built by Jerry Jones, the Cowboys' iconic owner and general manager — making AT&T Stadium's story inseparable from Jones's ambition to build America's Team into a global brand. The stadium's architectural scale remains genuinely breathtaking on first approach.
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