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Natural Grass, Pink Lighting... NLF's Iconic AT&T Stadium Transforms for World Cup
🇰🇷 South Korea /Sports

Natural Grass, Pink Lighting... NLF's Iconic AT&T Stadium Transforms for World Cup

From Dong-A Ilbo · () Korean

Translated from Korean, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

In-depth Sources not specified Context piece
  • AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, will host the most spectators for the 2026 World Cup, with a capacity of 94,000.
  • The stadium underwent a $350 million renovation, including installing natural grass and upgrading facilities to meet FIFA standards.
  • While the stadium will revert to artificial turf after the tournament, its conversion highlights a significant investment in hosting the global event.

The AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, set to be known as 'Dallas Stadium' during the 2026 World Cup due to FIFA's 'clean venue' policy, is poised to be the most populous venue of the tournament. With a staggering capacity of 94,000, it will significantly surpass the Mexico City Stadium's 83,000-seat capacity and will host a record nine matches.

Soccer stadiums were not designed for this, but it has been a long-term goal to host a soccer tournament here.

— Todd MartinGeneral Manager of AT&T Stadium, discussing the venue's adaptation for the World Cup.

To meet FIFA's stringent requirements for natural grass pitches, the stadium underwent a massive $350 million transformation. This involved removing 109m by 49m artificial turf fields and installing 15,000 tons of materials for drainage, gravel, and sand, topped with natural grass. Additionally, the stadium's dimensions were adjusted, and 'field-level suite' seats were removed to accommodate the regulation 105m by 68m soccer field. The iconic 'Jerrytron' scoreboard was also upgraded to UHD quality.

The lighting technology that provides artificial sunlight is only used at AT&T Stadium.

— Todd MartinHighlighting a unique feature of the stadium's renovation.

Todd Martin, the stadium's general manager, expressed the long-held ambition to host a soccer tournament, despite the venue's original design for American football. He highlighted the unique lighting technology used to cultivate the natural grass, a feature exclusive to AT&T Stadium. The stadium has prior experience hosting soccer events, including the CONCACAF Gold Cup and matches featuring top European clubs like FC Barcelona and Real Madrid.

We are happy to support the natural grass for the World Cup, but after the tournament, we will return to the form that suits our main business.

— Jerry JonesDallas Cowboys owner, explaining the temporary nature of the natural grass installation.

However, the natural grass is a temporary measure. Following the World Cup, the stadium will revert to its artificial turf. Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones stated that while they are happy to support the natural grass for the tournament, the return to artificial turf is driven by economic considerations. Forbes reports the Dallas Cowboys' valuation at $13 billion, making them the most valuable professional sports franchise globally.

Artificial turf is more economical and therefore more beneficial to the club.

— Jerry JonesExplaining the rationale for reverting to artificial turf after the World Cup.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Dong-A Ilbo in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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