FIFA to Install Blackout Curtains for June 25 World Cup Match in Arlington
Updated
Updated · NBC DFW · Jun 3
FIFA to Install Blackout Curtains for June 25 World Cup Match in Arlington
3 articles · Updated · NBC DFW · Jun 3
Summary
June 25’s Japan-Sweden group match at AT&T Stadium will get blackout curtains because a 6 p.m. kickoff would leave sun glare inside the venue until near the 8:40 p.m. sunset.
Nine 2026 World Cup matches are scheduled at the Arlington stadium, which has air conditioning and a retractable roof, but FIFA sees that evening game as especially vulnerable to glare in the second half.
The concern echoes a 2024 Cowboys game when CeeDee Lamb said sunlight blinded him on a missed end-zone pass, reviving criticism of the stadium’s light exposure.
Heat remains the wider tournament risk: research shows wet-bulb globe temperatures could top 90 F in Dallas, Houston and Monterrey, pushing FIFA and host cities to add shade, cooling zones, water access and medical teams.