The Cowboys’ Stadium Goes Soccer: A Simple Guide to the World Cup Takeover

Giving the Whole Stadium to FIFA

When the Dallas Cowboys (a professional American football team) offered their home, AT&T Stadium, to help North Texas host World Cup games, it meant they handed the entire building over to FIFA (the group that runs the World Cup soccer tournament) for more than a month.

• They gave it away “lock, stock and barrel” – that means everything, top to bottom.
• Even the private fancy viewing room (called a suite) belonging to Cowboys owner Jerry Jones was included.

A Tough Goodbye to the Owner’s Suite

Chad Estis, a top Cowboys business boss, laughed about it on Monday:

“Which, by the way, that was tough. When we were told that might happen, we were like, ‘Wow, OK.’ ”

Where Will Jerry Jones Watch the Big Semifinal?

Jerry Jones, his family, and other Cowboys leaders are planned to attend the World Cup semifinal between France and Spain on Tuesday.

• But they won’t sit in their usual suite.
• Estis confirmed they’ll be in a different suite.
• He said this after a news conference at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center.
• That news conference was held by the North Texas FIFA Organizing Committee, a group that Estis is part of (a board member).

The Stadium Gets a Soccer Makeover

FIFA did several things to turn the Cowboys’ house into a soccer-friendly place:

• Renamed it: For the tournament, the beloved AT&T Stadium was temporarily called Dallas Stadium.
• Real grass instead of fake: Normally the Cowboys play on synthetic turf (fake grass like carpet). FIFA used natural grass (real living grass).
• Window decorations: The famous windows above the west end zone got a makeover:
  • They added tint (a dark film) to soften the bright afternoon sun glare (glare = strong light that bothers eyes).
  • They hung curtains (like those used for concerts and other non-Cowboys events) to block light.
• Helping grass grow: Pictures show Japan’s team walking under special LED lights that act like the sun to help the real grass grow strong.
• Many games played: The stadium hosted nine World Cup matches. The first was Japan vs the Netherlands on June 13, 2026. Later, a Group F match between Japan and Sweden happened on June 25, 2026, with curtains seen on the windows. Pitch staff prepared the field the eve of that Netherlands match too.

Will the Cowboys Keep These Changes?

Short answer: No, probably not.

• Back in March, Jerry Jones said the Cowboys don’t plan to keep the natural grass. His reason: “We have no belief that it’s any safer to play on grass over turf.”
• The tint and curtains also don’t seem to have changed their minds. Estis said about keeping them: “I don’t think so.”
• He explained the stadium already works great for Cowboys games:
  • “We feel like the stadium operates incredibly well for Cowboys games and how we want it to.”
  • It’s a different crowd and different situation for soccer; some rooms used for football weren’t used, or were used differently.
• About the playing surface (the field):
  • Their fake turf is built to be taken out and put back because they host many events. Estis said, “I don’t anticipate any there” (meaning no change to that system).
• On the curtains, Estis noted: “The curtain thing gets written about a lot. You can ask Jerry about it, as many people do. But look, we’ve been doing it for 17 years, so we’re excited to get the stadium handed back to us. We’re excited to go back to operating it the way we do.”

Important Point: The Cowboys are happy to host the World Cup, but they can’t wait to return to their normal setup. The special changes are just for the soccer guests.

What Happens After the World Cup? (Step-by-Step)

Soon after Tuesday’s final World Cup match at the stadium, the cleanup and switch-back begins:

1. Remove the special grass: Workers will rip out the real grass blend (a mix of Kentucky bluegrass and ryegrass grown in Colorado). FIFA’s field team and stadium manager Tod Martin have carefully cared for it like a baby for six weeks.
2. Rebuild the corner rooms: Some private suites at the field corners were taken out to fit the wider and longer soccer field. Crews must reconstruct them.
3. Tight deadline: The Cowboys’ first preseason game is against New Orleans on August 28. That doesn’t leave much time!
4. Grass fate unknown: Estis said no decision yet on whether to donate the grass to another place, or where that might be.

Estis praised the soccer field: “Rightfully so for what this tournament is, the pitch needs to be perfect. Ours looks good; it’s playing well.” He joked that Tod Martin will be sad to tear it up, and shared a funny moment: “I walked on it barefoot and told Tod, ‘I want to be the only person to do that.’ We’ll see if that holds up.”

Summary

• The Cowboys lent their entire AT&T Stadium to FIFA for over a month of World Cup soccer, even giving up Jerry Jones’ private suite.
• FIFA renamed it Dallas Stadium, laid real grass, tinted windows, hung curtains, and used grow-lights for nine games including Japan vs Netherlands, Japan vs Sweden, and the France vs Spain semifinal.
• Cowboys leaders will watch the semifinal from a different suite.
• The team does not plan to keep the grass, curtains, or tint because their normal fake turf and setup work best for them.
• After the final match, the grass will be removed, corner suites rebuilt, and football returns by August 28.

FAQ

1. What is FIFA?
FIFA is the big organization that runs the World Cup, the global soccer tournament where countries compete.

2. Why did the stadium use real grass for the World Cup?
Soccer rules and player preference call for natural grass, so FIFA installed it. The Cowboys normally use fake turf (synthetic grass).

3. Will Jerry Jones sit in his normal box during the World Cup?
No. Because FIFA took over the whole stadium, Jones and his family will watch the semifinal from a different suite.

4. What happens to the special grass after the games?
Workers will strip it out right after the final match. They might donate it to another stadium, but that hasn’t been decided.

5. When do the Cowboys get their stadium back to normal?
Immediately after Tuesday’s final World Cup match they start changing it back, aiming to be ready for their August 28 preseason game.