dpARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — The home of the Dallas Cowboys had a new look for Thursday’s World Cup match between Japan and Sweden. And the addition of curtains to block the sun on the stadium’s west end wasn’t one NFL fans had seen before.
Even though glare from sunlight streaming into the massive sliding glass panels of the west end of the $1.2 billion stadium has lead to missed plays at football games, Cowboys billionaire owner Jerry Jones has vehemently rejected suggestions to put up curtains. But FIFA was taking no chances at the soccer tournament.
Fans could still look out to see the views from the glass panels on the east end Thursday but the west end was covered with black curtains for the match. The stadium has an unusual east-west alignment from end zone to end zone, as opposed to most U.S. football venues being north-south.
The glare from the west end of AT&T Stadium — renamed Dallas Stadium for the World Cup — has impacted plays during football games over the years, including at last November’s Thanksgiving Day win over Kansas City. After Cowboys receiver George Pickens didn’t see a pass thrown his way, he shaded his eyes when looking back to the stadium’s sun-drenched west end.
After the game, Pickens, who was in his first season with the Cowboys, said, “the sun was beating in my eyes, so I couldn’t see.”
“He already knew it. Welcome to Dallas, bro,” said fellow receiver CeeDee Lamb, who had his own issues with a pass he never saw during the 2024 season.
Curtains have been used for some concerts and at other events at the stadium, but Jones has rejected putting them up for Cowboys games. Jones has not yet attended any World Cup matches.
In 2024, Jones said: “We do know where the damn sun is going to be in our own stadium.” He then quipped: “Let’s just tear the damn stadium down and build another one. Are you kidding me?”
Dallas has nine World Cup matches — more than any other venue — but this is the only match where the timing has made the potential for glare a factor.
Jesse Nunez, who lives in Austin and was visiting the stadium for the first time, said he noticed the curtains were up when he arrived for Thursday’s match, and he thought it was a good idea.
“I think they should do it for the football games, I’ve seen plays where you can see the players actively can’t see,” Nunez said.
The match began at 6 p.m. local time. So with sunset at 8:40 p.m., depending on cloud cover, there would have been a chance for the sun streaming in during the game.
A few hours before the start, the stadium was still under gray skies. But by about an hour before, the sun had started peeking through.
The match ended in a 1-1 draw and both teams advanced to the round of 32.
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See more of AP’s World Cup coverage here
