The Cowboys’ AT&T Stadium in Arlington—briefly rebranded as Dallas Stadium by FIFA this summer—will host the most World Cup games with nine, including a semifinal.
At least one of them will cover up Jerry Jones’s beloved window to avoid any issues with glare from the sun.
The stadium is outfitted with blackout curtains that are commonly used for major events like Taylor Swift concerts and WrestleMania, but Jones refuses to put them down for Cowboys games. Nearly every fall, Jones is asked about this after the Cowboys have a late-afternoon game where someone loses track of the ball in the sun.
A FIFA spokesperson tells Front Office Sports that it plans to use the curtains during only one match, which kicks off in the early evening. The other eight matches in Arlington will start in the early afternoon or after sunset.
In 2024, Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb missed a catch during one late afternoon game.
“By the way, we know where the sun is going to be when we decide to flip the coin or not. We do know where the damn sun is going to be in our own stadium,” Jones said after the game.
But Lamb said he couldn’t see the ball because of the sun, and said he is “one thousand percent” in favor of using the curtains. The issue has come up several times since the stadium opened in 2009.
A spokesperson for the Cowboys told FOS that any decisions would be up to FIFA, not the venue. FIFA controls all stadiums during the World Cup.
A FIFA spokesperson told FOS that curtains will be down for the June 25 group stage match between Japan and Sweden, which will have a local kickoff time of 6 p.m.
“The venue team will remain vigilant and assess whether the curtains will be needed for any other matches,” the spokesperson said.
The problem has been happening for years at Cowboys games that kick off at 3:25 p.m. local time in the fall.
On the day of Lamb’s missed catch, the sunset at about 5:30 p.m. in Arlington. On the day of the Japan–Sweden match, sunset will be around 8:40 p.m.
Of the nine matches happening in Dallas, Japan–Sweden is the only one that would happen during sunset. The other matches all kickoff between noon and 3 p.m., except for Argentina–Jordan on June 27, which is scheduled for a 9 p.m. start time.
All of Arlington’s matches past the group stage will kick off between noon and 2 p.m., meaning the setting sun would likely not be an issue.
The curtains are another example of an NFL venue bending to FIFA’s will on issues that its own players have highlighted for years.
FIFA requires grass at all of its stadiums, and AT&T recently installed its temporary grass field, leading Lamb to plead for grass on Instagram. (The Cowboys play on turf.)
The NFL Players Association and its executive director JC Tretter recently ripped NFL owners “who roll out the green carpet for soccer players.”
“Our players deserve workplaces that prioritize their preference, protect them against the weekly wear and tear of the game, and support their long-term health and performance,” the union said.
