Black curtains shield AT&T Stadium glare for Japan-Sweden World Cup match

Black curtains were installed across the west end of AT&T Stadium in Arlington for Japan’s World Cup match against Sweden on June 25, covering the sliding glass panels that have long let sunlight hit players in the eyes. Fans on the east side could still see out through the glass, but the west end was shielded for the 6:00 p.m. local kickoff.

Jerry Jones, the Cowboys owner, has repeatedly rejected curtains for NFL games, even as the stadium’s unusual east-west alignment has made glare a recurring complaint in afternoon and early evening events. FIFA installed curtains for the match at a venue where the sun could still be a problem before sunset, which came around 8:40 p.m. in Arlington.

The glare issue is not new. Players have complained before, including during a Thanksgiving Day game against Kansas City in November 2025, and Cowboys receiver George Pickens once said he could not see a pass because the sun was beating into his eyes. Jones has defended the building’s design and has joked that the answer would be to tear it down and build another one rather than drape curtains across the glass.

Dallas Stadium was set to host a tournament-high nine matches in 2026, more than any other venue. FIFA’s Dallas materials list five group-stage games, two Round of 32 matches, one Round of 16 match and a semifinal on July 14, 2026. The World Cup will span 16 host cities across Canada, Mexico and the United States and include 104 matches.

Dallas’s tournament footprint extends beyond the stadium in Arlington. The International Broadcast Center is at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in downtown Dallas, and the FIFA Fan Festival Dallas is at Fair Park.