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Dallas Cowboys WATCH: Dak Prescott Welcomes World Cup to DFW

Football stars of a different kind will take to AT&T Stadium's turf in 2026.

Geoff Maggliocchetti

Summer football is often meaningless at AT&T Stadium, but that's going to change come 2026. 

AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys, will serve as one of the 16 playing sites for the 2026 FIFA World Cup held in North America. The Arlington structure often referred to as "JerryWorld" (after Cowboys owner Jerry Jones) is one of 10 NFL stadiums that will make the transition to soccer that summer. Other sites include NFC East travel sites East Rutherford (MetLife Stadium) and Philadelphia (Lincoln Financial Field). Dallas' in-state rival Houston will also host matches at NRG Stadium. 

The 2026 men's tournament will be groundbreaking on several levels: it will be the first to be held between three nations (with the United States sharing duties with Canada and Mexico) as well as the first with an expanded playing field at 48 as opposed to the traditional 32. Matchups have not been assigned to specific venues at this time, but every game in the knockout quarterfinal round onward is expected to be held in the United States. 

According to a statement on the Cowboys website, hosting duties will create as many as 3,000 new local jobs. AT&T Stadium won't be the only metroplex venue involved in the effort: Toyota Stadium (home of FC Dallas of MLS), Globe Life Field (home of MLB's Texas Rangers), the Cotton Bowl, and Fair Park will be used as training sites. 

AT&T Stadium is no stranger to soccer, having hosted numerous matches since its 2009 opening. Its most recent endeavors came during the 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup tournament, which included a 1-0 for the United States' men's national team over Jamaica in the quarterfinal round. In the previous America-hosted men's World Cup effort in 1994, Dallas hosted six games at the Cotton Bowl, including a quarterfinal matchup between The Netherlands and eventual champion Brazil. 

Other NFL stadiums set to partake in the festivities include Arrowhead Stadium (Kansas City), Gillette Stadium (New England),  Hard Rock Stadium (Miami), Levi's Stadium (San Francisco), Lumen Field (Seattle), Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta), and SoFi Stadium (Los Angeles).

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Geoff Maggliocchetti
GEOFF MAGGLIOCCHETTI

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