The Dallas Cowboys' AT&T Stadium is set to host its ninth and final FIFA World Cup 2026 match, a semifinal between Spain and France on July 14 at 2 p.m. ET.

Though the AT&T Stadium missed out on hosting the World Cup final, the Cowboys Stadium currently holds the tournament's high count of nine World Cup games, including the semifinal. 

"And while it isn’t the finale of the tournament, there should be a finale-like atmosphere between France and Spain," Joseph Hoyt of the Dallas Morning News wrote. "France enters as the No. 1-ranked team in the world in FIFA’s rankings, while Spain is ranked third."

According to Hoyt of the Dallas Morning News, the winner of the semifinals will either face England or Argentina on July 19 in MetLife Stadium, New Jersey.

The losing teams will compete for the third-place playoff on Saturday, July 18, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.

While Jones and his family are expected to attend the match in Dallas, he had previously said that he wants every game at the stadium to feel like a World Cup final and vowed to do whatever it takes, regardless of the cost, to get the field ready.

“We will act like it’s the final game, and every game, we will act like it’s the final game, because we want to show them," Jones said at a news conference in 2024 when FIFA World Cup host venues were announced.

As the Dallas Stadium prepared for its final World Cup match, the spotlight also turned to the significant renovations and field modifications made to meet the FIFA standards.

AT&T Stadium's FIFA makeover takes center stage

The AT&T Stadium, which already has an artificial turf surface, installed a grass surface by raising the playing surface by approximately two feet (24 inches).

FIFA Pitch Manager Ian Craig, who oversees the field, said " a cool-season grass" was installed in the Dallas Stadium.

"It’s done really well. You know, it’s performed exactly how we wanted it throughout the tournament," Craig said, per David Sentendrey and Joseph Rowe of Fox4News. "In Texas, this wouldn’t survive outdoors in Texas, but conversely, the type of grass that would grow outdoors in Texas wouldn’t survive here because we don’t have the right light levels or the right temperature for it."

The grass—a blend of Kentucky bluegrass and ryegrass—was brought to Texas after being grown in Colorado to match the soil and environment.

The technicians have installed 18 large LED grow lights that are suspended from the ceiling, providing a unique pink glow to the stadium to sustain the grass inside an enclosed stadium.

Who do you think will take the win on July 14?

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Written by

Archana Ramakrishnan

Edited by

Zaid Quraishi