See how AT&T Stadium became Dallas Stadium’s 2026 FIFA World Cup soccer pitch
Dallas Stadium (AT&T Stadium, rebranded for the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup matches) now smells like fresh grass.
The stadium crew laid 114 yards of pitch on May 10. Media got a first look at the field May 14.
AT&T Stadium Manager Tod Martin said AT&T Stadium was not designed for soccer but playing soccer there has been a long-time goal.
The stadium just had a $275 million refresh before the 2025 NFL season. World Cup pitch preparations included removing the artificial Matrix turf, used for NFL games, and taking out several lower-level suites, since a soccer pitch is wider than a football field. Irrigation systems were also installed.
Crews laid 15,000 tons of material, from drainage to gravel to sand, and then topped it with the fresh grass pitch. The pitch is about two feet higher than where the Cowboys football field would be.
Pink hovering grow lights hanging from the ceiling will provide synthetic sunlight to the indoor stadium, which helps the field grow until the first match is played on June 14. The suspended roof lights are technology that only AT&T Stadium uses, Martin said.
“I was trying to minimize the push and pull of these things [pink LED lights] on the pitch, as well as storing them, especially on match days,” Martin said in a news conference Thursday, May 14. “I just wanted to get them out of everyone’s way.”
The lights will be on as much as possible until the day of the first match and in between matches during the tournament.
“We’re in the maintenance period now,” FIFA’s Head of Pitch Infrastructure Ewen Hodge said. “Put some goals in, put some lines on it and off we go.”
Nearly seven years of research was put into the pitch grasses that were laid at 16 World Cup Stadiums across North America. The pitch in Arlington is Kentucky Blue Grass and Rye, which grew and was transported from Denver, Colo.
The quality of the pitch surface is extremely important in soccer because it can affect a player’s performance. Hodge said player safety is the most important aspect when designing FIFA pitches, and that is why all fields are treated with the best care. The hybrid enforcement of the two types of grasses has been a “key player” in athlete safety and comfort in past FIFA matches.
The first match at Dallas Stadium will be played on June 14 between the Netherlands and Japan. The fresh pitch will serve all nine matches, with the last semi-final round on July 14.
